Coventry Youth Workers To Strike

Unite members who are youth and community workers in Coventry are staging a one-day strike on Wednesday, 26th August to protest at the continuing cuts to services for young people.

Unite members voted overwhelmingly for the strike in a bid to highlight the effects of £660,000 worth of cuts that the Conservative-dominated city council is continuing to impose.

Thirty full-time staff and up to 50 part-time employees will be holding demonstrations at various locations in the city.

Rachael Maskell, national officer, community and non profit sector, said: "Our members are taking this one-day action as a last resort because the council has refused to consult and negotiate on the implementation of these proposals. We urge the council to open a dialogue with staff and trade union representatives. The city council appears to have no conscience as to how these cuts will affect the most vulnerable in Coventry – at a time when the recession is really biting. Council officers are hiding behind council members’ decisions and calling it policy."

Recent cuts have centred on after-school clubs and summer play scheme programmes which have seen the disbandment of the children and family education service, with 40 full-time and part time workers taking retirement or redundancy, or being redeployed.

This has resulted in a cut to front line services for primary aged children in the city, including provision for children with special educational need and disabilities. These cuts have totalled £300,000.

Now the city wishes to implement further cuts of £360,000 which will hit some of the most vulnerable young people in the city.