Union in row over Lancashire County Council job losses

10:10am Thursday 5th July 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

The giant GMB union and Lancashire County Council have got into a row over how many jobs the Tory-led authority has axed since the coalition government was formed in 2010.

The union claims staff at the authority has fallen by 5,376 but its leader Geoff Driver said the actual figure for redundancies was only 1,500.

The GMB said North West council jobs had fallen by 34,300 or 11.2 per cent – the fourth highest in England and Wales.

It said its figures, derived from the Office of National Statistics, showed that Lancashire had seen the greatest fall claiming that the number of workers employed by the county had fallen by 5,376 or 12.5 per cent.

The GMB says Blackburn with Darwen Council has seen 614 jobs losses (7.6 per cent of the total work-force), Burnley 119 (17.4 per cent); Rossendale 88 (29.8 per cent); Hyndburn 82 (19.8 per cent); Pendle 62 (15.2 per cent); Ribble Valley 36 (12.3 per cent) and Chorley 14 (3.8 per cent).

County Coun Driver said: “The figures quoted by the GMB are inaccurate. In the past two years, the number of people working for the county council has fallen by 1,500, and not 5,376 as incorrectly stated by the GMB.”

Paul McCarthy, GMB regional secretary said: “What lies behind these statistics is the cold hard fact that this government has destroyed 34,300 local authority jobs in the North West.

“These cuts have created unemployment, denied job opportunities to young people and cut services.”

Comments(8)

jack daniels says...
10:34am Thu 5 Jul 12

So... the GMB give a figure, and show us that the numbers come from the Office of National Statistics, whilst the Tory leader Geoff Driver defends his goverments failed policy by stating it's a far less 1500 (which is a nice round number by the way).

Obviously, this would have been a far better story if Bill Jacobs had done some research and found out what the number really was.

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mavrick says...
12:36pm Thu 5 Jul 12

People are more than statistics, I wouldn't believe a single word from the mouth of the Tories, They are experts at weasel worded statements. Just look at the amount of jobs gone in the services, Army,Navy, Air force, Police, They don't give two hoots for any service or loyalty. The union should have challenged more effectively, It seems that the unions are not moving with the times. At this time people should be banging down the unions doors, but they are not, I wonder why? You are guilty of allowing the Tories policy of divide and rule to win the day. People have been sold out and let down.

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BuckoTheMoose says...
1:21pm Thu 5 Jul 12

""The giant GMB union and Lancashire County Council have got into a row over how many jobs the Tory-led authority has axed since the coalition government was formed in 2010. ""

Not enough.

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jack daniels says...
8:40pm Thu 5 Jul 12

BuckoTheMoose wrote:
""The giant GMB union and Lancashire County Council have got into a row over how many jobs the Tory-led authority has axed since the coalition government was formed in 2010. ""

Not enough.
Maybe all the council staff should strike for the next 48 hours, when the floods start. Fortunately, I'm happy for my taxes to pay for a service that comes to the aid of my fellow man (or woman).

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BuckoTheMoose says...
8:43pm Thu 5 Jul 12

jack daniels wrote:
BuckoTheMoose wrote:
""The giant GMB union and Lancashire County Council have got into a row over how many jobs the Tory-led authority has axed since the coalition government was formed in 2010. ""

Not enough.
Maybe all the council staff should strike for the next 48 hours, when the floods start. Fortunately, I'm happy for my taxes to pay for a service that comes to the aid of my fellow man (or woman).
Me too. Pity we are still footing the bill for so many jobsworths though.

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jack daniels says...
6:57am Fri 6 Jul 12

BuckoTheMoose wrote:
jack daniels wrote:
BuckoTheMoose wrote:
""The giant GMB union and Lancashire County Council have got into a row over how many jobs the Tory-led authority has axed since the coalition government was formed in 2010. ""

Not enough.
Maybe all the council staff should strike for the next 48 hours, when the floods start. Fortunately, I'm happy for my taxes to pay for a service that comes to the aid of my fellow man (or woman).
Me too. Pity we are still footing the bill for so many jobsworths though.
There are no jobsworths, just people foolish enough to believe what the government and the daily mail tell them.

Report this post »

jack daniels says...
6:57am Fri 6 Jul 12

BuckoTheMoose wrote:
jack daniels wrote:
BuckoTheMoose wrote:
""The giant GMB union and Lancashire County Council have got into a row over how many jobs the Tory-led authority has axed since the coalition government was formed in 2010. ""

Not enough.
Maybe all the council staff should strike for the next 48 hours, when the floods start. Fortunately, I'm happy for my taxes to pay for a service that comes to the aid of my fellow man (or woman).
Me too. Pity we are still footing the bill for so many jobsworths though.
There are no jobsworths, just people foolish enough to believe what the government and the daily mail tell them.

Report this post »

rilistic says...
9:30pm Fri 6 Jul 12

The Conservatives at LCC have reduced the payroll by 1500 with no compulsory redundancies and they have frozen the Council Tax for the last three years by spending £150m less on administration and bureaucracy than the previous Labour administration. More please!!!

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