Unison activists in Brighton and Hove felt sickened and betrayed by the outcome of the Council Budget meeting.
The minority administration with support from the Tories voted through a massive cuts budget effecting services right across the authority but in a last minute pact with the Conservative leader Geoffrey Theobald, Warren Morgan Labour leader did a further underhand deal to reduce the support for the Councils Trade Unions and his tired bunch of councillors swallowed any principles they may have had and voted for it. This was an historic about-turn showing how desperate they were to end the meeting and go home. Is there no principle too great to break, is there no level they won’t stoop to ?
Consultations had been on going about the level of facility time within the authority but this pre-emptive strike by the administration shows what they think of meaningful dialogue.
Unison branch officer Richard Woolven said
”This amounts to a declaration of war with the trade union movement in Brighton & Hove”