Victory for Redbridge refuse workers
26 August 2024
Redbridge refuse collectors have won a new and improved contract. They had already taken strike action and were about to do so again.
Local government
Local government
Nottingham goes bankrupt: more councils at risk
30 April 2024
Local government minister Simon Hoare announced in February that commissioners would be appointed to run Nottingham City Council. And many others risk the same fate.
Wales: Fighting for convenience
Local councils are cutting services and closing facilities across the country. One small town in Wales is making a stand.
Nottingham goes bankrupt [print version]
Local government minister Simon Hoare announced in February that commissioners would be appointed to run Nottingham City Council.
Wanstead young people campaign to save youth centre
21 October 2023
A campaign by the people of Wanstead appears to have secured the future of their youth centre, threatened with closure by the council.
Birmingham – political bankruptcy in council provision
20 September 2023
Birmingham City Council announced that it could not meet its financial liabilities. Essentially it is bankrupt, threatening both jobs and services. These are structural problems, shared by other councils.
Sign of the times – people care: a reader writes
8 September 2023
We received this letter from a Workers reader in east London about a recent shopping trip. Although it was a novel experience, this may be happening around Britain more often than we realise. The challenge is how not let this go to waste – to act and not just grumble.
Devolution dividing Britain
25 January 2023
The government’s drive to divide Britain is gathering pace with a devolution deal for the North East of England, and the second round of “levelling up” funding for councils across the country.
Coventry bin drivers fight for pay
28 March 2022
Coventry Council bin workers are fighting back as a long running pay dispute escalated with the suspension of a shop steward.
Scotland: Energy surrender
20 December 2021
In the latest abandonment of energy sources in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pressed the button to blow up the chimney of Longannet power station on 9 December.
Brighton bins: Drivers win victory
HGV drivers on refuse, recycling and commercial waste lorries for Brighton Cityclean have won a dispute over unilaterally imposed daily changes to rounds, and the removal of drivers from long-standing rounds.
Library users bring council to book
5 May 2021
Library users in Glasgow have reacted to closure proposals from the SNP-run council with weekends of read-ins and demonstrations at the threatened sites.
Tourism shutdown tipping Windsor into bankruptcy
30 April 2020
It’s come to something when income from a tourist attraction – a royal tourist attraction at that – is the only thing that stands between a local authority and bankruptcy.
Young people 'condemned' by cuts to youth services
1 February 2020
The YMCA released a report this week showing a real-terms decline of 70 per cent in youth services in England and Wales since 2010 – and warning of dire consequences.
Not another has-been preaching regionalism to Britain...
22 January 2020
Political has-beens have been wheeled out to pontificate on why Britain needs regionalism. It doesn’t.
Local government: Liverpool in crisis
Liverpool City Council is facing its worst financial crisis since the Second World War, says its mayor.
Swingeing cuts to youth services revealed
25 September 2019
New analysis shows that councils’ spending on youth services in England has been reduced by 69 per cent in a decade.
Council cuts killing homeless people
28 June 2019
More homeless people die in the areas with the biggest council cuts, a new study suggests.
Revealed: local authority staff slump
28 June 2019
New figures revealed by the trade union Unison at its annual conference in Liverpool show that a quarter of council jobs have been lost since 2010.
Report shows 21 per cent cut in local government spending
31 May 2019
Local government spending on services has fallen by more than a fifth over 10 years, according to a new report.
Save Essex Libraries
27 May 2019
Essex County Council is facing fierce protests against cuts to its library service. A demonstration in Chelmsford on 8 June is the latest action to keep the pressure on the council.
Midlands council backs down in pay dispute
2 May 2019
Customer service assistants employed by Sandwell council have won a big pay rise after the council backed down in a grading dispute.
Council tax - pay twice over
10 March 2019
Government is reducing the amount it pays out to local authorities. Services are cut or the shortfall is made up by increases for council tax payers, further damaging public services that people rely on.
'Austerity' alive and well as government dodges responsibility
11 February 2019
Millions around the country are experiencing every day the consequences of a political system that has washed its hand of the people and handed control over to the European Union, the market, or both.
Bridge repair backlog soars to £6.7 billion.
13 January 2019
The maintenance backlog for council-owned road bridges in Britain increased by a third in the past year, with billions needed to bring all structures up to standard.
Local Govt: London in need
The BBC reports that London’s councils have told the government they need an extra £526 million in funding to balance the books.
Big new cuts proposed for Birmingham
22 November 2018
The government may have announced the end of “austerity” – but Birmingham City Council must find £86 million in savings in the next four years.
Panic-mongering as Brexit date nears
6 November 2018
Attempts to undermine Brexit abound. One of the more insidious strands is the growing panic-mongering evident in some quarters.
Glasgow equal pay fight
Thousands of women workers, including cleaners, carers, learning support staff, and those in nurseries and administration walked out on 23 October on a two-day strike.
Local government: destroying jobs
The widespread onslaught on local jobs and services continues, as the government’s false economies grind on.