The financial crisis facing the Isle of Wight Council was not created by its workers and they shouldn’t be asked to ‘pay the price’ for it, the UK’s largest trade union has said.
Weighing in after a stark warning over County Hall’s finances last week, UNISON has said that if the government wants resilient local authorities and better public services, it must provide the resources to protect jobs.
Last Thursday (9th July), senior council officer Adam Richens told the policy, finance and resources committee some ‘extremely difficult decisions’ will be required to address a funding cap which could reach over £60million in a few years’ time.
He pointed to a graph forecasting a growing structural deficit for the local authority which he said he ‘saw a lot’ during the ‘austerity years’ of the last decade.
A UNISON spokesperson said:
“Protecting jobs is the only way to protect the quality local services communities rely on.
“The financial pressures facing the Isle of Wight Council are sadly not unique. Fourteen years of Conservative austerity have left many councils trying to do more with less, while demand for services like adult social care continues to rise.
“If ministers want resilient councils and better public services, they must provide the resources to protect both jobs and the communities that rely on them.
Article continues below this advertisement “UNISON will be seeking to engage with the council to ensure the fullest possible consultation about constructive ways to tackle the financial crisis with a view to preserving jobs and services.”
Isle of Wight Tories previously justified austerity measures with claims of financial prudence or, in the words of former council leader, David Stewart, “getting our financial house in order”.
Amid cutbacks after Conservatives entered government in 2010, County Hall’s leader at the time, David Pugh, said:
“The fact is we only have so much money to go around. We must focus it on those areas with the greatest identified need.”
The IWCC needs to learn to live within its means. The wastage throughout the organisation is staggering. They need to prioritise mandatory services, reviewing how they all operate to get best value for money. All other series should be reviewed as, are they necessary, how can savings be achieved.
Unfortunately the decision last year not to consolidate school places has come back to bite them.
Cowardice in making difficult decisions.
You can always rely on a union to ignore reality and common snse , like all unions they fight for the impossible , how many insitutions such as coal mines and car companies have gone to the wall directly as a result of the greed of union demands ,ultimately their attitude today will only cause bigger job losses in years to come,, how many full time union representatives are there at the council, one being paid for by the council will be too many.
No Council employee should earn more than 100,000.00 a year
NO EMPLOYEE.
Also how many Council staff are shirking from home since the pandemic!
If they are not in the workplace THEY ARE NOT NEEDED!
What a great way to save money.
Noting ever changes much does it? They don’t give a flying one about over spending or wastage. They know the black hole will be filled in by us mugs being screwed more tax Let’s see how long it is before they manage to find enough finances to give themselves another pay rise shall we?
Ummmm that’s pretty much exactly who should be paying the price? Why should WE face the potential extra financial burden?
A sweeping statement I know BUT pretty much the entire council is inept from top to bottom? Of course it will have its fair share of dedicated employees but they are as much embroiled in this mis-management as the top dogs.
All business have to tighten their belts at one time or another so why should the IWCC be any different? And why is it the front line services that are first to go? Start by scrapping some of the behind the scenes costs.
It’s one bad decision after another and not a single one of them is holding their hands up to any of it!
I blame the Tories for a lot of things and so do my fellow electors given that they now have the grand total of TWO county Councillors.
But this “14 years of austerity” card trick by Unison is just that. A trick.
For the year 2010/11, my Council tax was notated thus:
IWCouncil £1146.49
Police. 130.00
T/P precept. 48.19
Total £1324.68
For this year 2026/27 it reads thus:
IWCouncil £1870.02 an increase of 63.1%
Police 258.19 an increase of 98.6%
T/P precept. 202.46 a STAGGERING 320.12% incr. for bunch of idiots
Fire service. 82.52 an increase of 82.52% for something that did not exist back in 2010
Total £2413.19 an increase of 82.17%
So if IW Council think for one moment that they will screw the community for their incompetence, they will not – trust me.
As for the numbskulls that “run” the T/P Council , we will have you gone.
It certainly should not be the council tax payers were just a cash cow for all their wrong decisions