Council workers in Somerset will today (Tuesday) lobby a council meeting where a package of cuts are to due be agreed, says UNISON.
Cuts to staff and services are on the agenda as Somerset Council meets to plan how to deal with a £87m funding deficit.
Local authority workers are lobbying outside the meeting in Bridgwater to voice their concern over the future of public services across the county. UNISON representatives will be putting questions to councillors about the financial emergency and the impact of cuts on local communities and staff.
In January, the government announced additional funding of £500m for local authorities but the union says this doesn’t go far enough. UNISON estimates councils across England, Wales and Scotland will have a budget shortfall of at least £3.5bn in 2024/25.
UNISON Somerset branch secretary Alison Hann said: “The outlook is incredibly bleak for council workers in Somerset. There’s been over a decade of cuts to Somerset Council, and the size of the local authority has reduced significantly.
“These latest cuts could see over 1,000 workers lose their jobs, which is around a quarter of the workforce.
“This is a problem that’s happening all across the country and can only be solved by government intervention. Ministers must do more to help local government and provide the funding needed to save services in Somerset.”
