Unions plan their protests

Unions are stepping up their campaign against the cuts and redundancies.
Members of the local authority unions will hold a public meeting in Chadderton on December 14, the day before they lobby councillors on their way to the full council meeting at Oldham civic centre.

The unions involved include Unison, the Transport and General Workers’ Union, GMB, Unite, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, National Union of Teachers, and the NAS/UWT.

Wendy Bradbury, branch chairman of Oldham Unison, said: “The meeting at Chadderton Town Hall is from 4pm to 6pm and is open to everyone.

“We will have speakers but we want people to stand up from the floor and ask questions, whether it is about old people or children, and tell us how the cuts will affect them.

“It is things like doing away with school crossing patrols which will affect so many people.”

Members will then be at the Rochdale Road reception at the civic centre on December 15, lobbying Oldham’s 60 councillors as they arrive for the full council meeting which starts at 6pm.

Around 100 members are expected to be there, and also to sit in the council chamber throughout the debates.

Cabinet members have already proposed their first round of budget cuts, but final decisions, and the fixing of Oldham’s Council tax increase, will not be determined until a special council meeting in February.