By Charlotte Webster-
Union members in Croydon Council’s payroll department at Fisher’s Folly are being balloted over strike action in response to the authority’s management proposing a “restructure” which will see a quarter of the section’s jobs axed – but only BAME women employees face losing their jobs.
The ballot comes after the authourity proposed a departmental restructure in which a quarter of jobs are at risk of being lost.
The GMB union, which has organised the ballot, said it was concerned that not all staff were included in the restructure – those affected are exclusively women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
The union claims grievances raised by its members have been ignored and say staff have made a number of counter-proposals to save money and protect jobs.
They have also submitted numerous grievances which have not been acknowledged by HR, claims the GMB.
The council is currently facing a £1.6 billion fiscal black hole, which Tory Croydon Mayor Jason Perry said is inherited from the previous Labour administration.
The council has been put in special measures as the Government seeks to write off more than £500 million of loans the local authority has racked up and cannot pay back.
“The GMB opposes these potentially discriminatory restructure plans and wants to work with the council to find a solution that does not lead to yet another round of redundancies and increased workloads for remaining staff.
“Our members deserve so much better than what we are seeing – they just want to be treated fairly.
“Croydon needs to sit down with us and take workers’ counter proposals seriously. If they don’t get round the table with us, then we will see them on the picket line.
“The GMB calls on Mayor Jason Perry to lobby the Government to fund Croydon fairly and avoid the disastrous programme of cuts that lie ahead.
“Employees and residents should not pay for Croydon’s disastrous financial position.”
The cuts are part of the £36million “savings” passed earlier this month when every single Labour councillor abstained in a vote on the budget proposed by Conservative Mayor Jason Perry. Mayor Perry’s budget also included the 15per cent Council Tax hike.
The GMB union ballot for its members opens on Monday, March 27, and runs until April 3.
Staff payments are expected to be affected by the strike action including those to the likes of £192,000 per year chief exec Katherine Kerswell and her six-figure salaried directors – badly disrupted or even stopped altogether.
GMB union officials have expressed serious concerns that not all staff have been included in the restructure proposals. Those most likely to be made redundant under the restructuring are exclusively women from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
“Staff have made a number of counter-proposals to save money and protect jobs, which have not been fully considered,” the union said today.
The GMB also said that their members have “submitted numerous grievances”, but that these have been ignored by senior management at the council.
“Employees and residents should not pay for Croydon’s disastrous financial position,” GMB official Rachael Baylis said.
“The current situation at Croydon Council is not the fault of those who are now being faced with job losses and increased workload. It is down to financial mismanagement and severe cuts to local authority funding.
“GMB opposes these potentially discriminatory restructuring plans and wants to work with the council to find a solution that does not lead to yet another round of redundancies and increased workloads for remaining staff.
“Our members deserve so much better than what we are seeing – they just want to be treated fairly.
“If the council don’t get round the negotiating table with us, then we will see them on the picket line.
“The GMB calls on Mayor Jason Perry to lobby the Government to fund Croydon fairly and avoid the disastrous programme of cuts that lie ahead.”