Industrial action had been put on hold while the 82 UNISON members in Southampton libraries were balloted on a new deal put forward by the Council. Under these proposals the Council would have agreed with UNISON what work volunteers did before they were introduced, as well as consulting on a new staffing structure. The Council did not withdraw its plans to replace 7 jobs with volunteers and close Millbrook and Thornhill libraries.
The postal ballot of librarians decisively rejected the Council’s plans and re-affirmed support for strike action. As the vast majority of library staff are UNISON members, most of the library service will be closed for 2 days. UNISON members will picket Central, Shirley, Portswood, Woolston and Bitterne libraries from 8.30 a.m. each strike day. Striking library staff will also visit local shopping centres and estates to petition and leaflet on strike days.
Branch Secretary, Mike Tucker, commented, “While recruiting a new senior manager on £120,000 a year, the Council is scrapping 7 front line library jobs to make the same amount of savings. Libraries need professional staff to provide a modern service to the people of Southampton. Untrained, unskilled, unreliable volunteers will not provide this service. The Conservative Party’s “Big Society” is a smokescreen covering up savage cuts in vital services. Southampton librarians are determined to resist the destruction of their service.
http://www.soton-unison-office.org.uk/