I’m a bit late posting this photo, because I’ve been busy out talking to Labour Party members in Elmet and Rothwell for the Parliamentary selection. On Thursday I went with my daughter Esme to join the demonstration outside Leeds Civic Hall in support of the bin workers and street cleaners who are having their pay slashed by the Tory/Lib Dem council. It was a great event and everyone was rooting for the Unite, Unison and GMB members.
On Friday I had dinner with friends who aren’t particularly political, but were disgusted and horrified when they discovered what the bin strike was actually about. They had no idea that these hard workers, who are out every day in all weathers, were facing such massive pay cuts – £5-£6K when they only earn about £18K to begin with. It totally changed their perspective on the strike from being annoyed that their bins hadn’t been entered to being furious at Tory and Lib Dem councillors who are treating the refuse workers to shamefully.
Hey Karen,
Interesting piece but maybe you should try learning the truth yourself before relaying trade union propoganda to your friends. The maximum that any refuse worker will lose is £4491, not £5-6000. And under the new system a number of jobs in the refuse department will be paid more. Up to £2880 more.
Maybe you should have told your non-political friends that the every refuse worker takes 30 days a year sick leave or that very few ever work their contracted hours?
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It’s about time the truth was told and the local media stopped trying to find the sensationalism in their articles. Regurgitating phrases from 1979 like the winter of discontent. We have moved on from the Tory propaganda of the late 70’s and early 80’s. Just how many people do you know who would, let alone could afford, to take a £6,000 pay cut?
“No One” certainly not a Leeds Con/Lib Dem councilor, last year Coun Brett was paid £45,883 from the public purse with other Councilors pocketing between £14,000 and £36,000 in the same period.
In the same year senior Council officers enjoyed pay rises of up to £12,000 a year.
So please tell me why should Coun Bret be paid £45,000 to treat people like sh*t and talk a load of rubbish and expect the bin men of Leeds to work in all weathers collecting other peoples rubbish and sh*t, mine included for a measly £12,000 a year.
“Chief Executive of LCC Paul Rogerson’s salary went up last year from £186,355 to £191,467, his deputy Dave Page’s salary rose from £153,000 to £157,000 and the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods, Neil Evans, enjoyed a massive £15,000 rise, from £117,679 to £132,593.
How can you justify these pay increases, when you are asking workers at the very heart of sanitation and cleansing in Leeds to work for less? £6,000 less, to be precise. It’s time the public of Leeds got behind the bin men and voiced their opinions today and voiced their opinions next May too in the local council ellections. I know I will.
Hypocrisy is rife, it would appear among the walls of Leeds Civic Hall ……………!
@Chris Oh my mistake then it’s £500 short of £5,000. Still a huge sum to lose by anybody’s standard. And Richard Brett still tries to claim it is fair while dodging the question about why if it’s so easy to cope with a £5K (£4.5K!) cut, why won’t he do it himself and lead from the front.
Lions led by donkeys.