Youth workers in Oxfordshire to strike over job cuts
12 August 2011
Unite the union announced today (Friday 12 August) that youth
workers employed by Oxfordshire county council will begin a series
of one day walkouts from Tuesday 23 August over job cuts and
service closures.
The jobs of around 80 youth workers, who care for hundreds of
vulnerable young people across the county, are at risk as the
council pushes ahead with its re-structuring exercise. The cuts
will hit the prime minister's constituency of Witney where people
as young as 12 years of age have been fighting to save their youth
service.
Unite has said that the Conservative-led council’s decision to
offload the running of its 26 youth centres and two detached youth
teams exposes a local authority with scant regard for the needs of
young people in the county warning that dismantling the top class
youth service will push young people onto the streets.
Oxfordshire county council plans to slash youth service funding
from £3.7 million to £1.4 million making the county the lowest
contributor to youth services in all of England. Within the
council’s overall budget of £800 million, the cut will save a
miniscule 0.17 per cent, but the impact on the service and its
recipients will be huge and very damaging.
Mike Beal, chair of the Unite community and youth worker sector
Oxford, said: “Youth workers would much rather be doing their jobs
but the council is turning its back on young people. They
will take strike action with a very heavy heart but how else can
they get an unthinking council to listen?
"Oxfordshire county council's plans to dismantle its youth
service are short-sighted. They will tear apart the youth
service at the very time when it is needed most. I have
spoken to a number of young people who all say that without their
local youth club they would be hanging out on street corners. Youth
clubs provide safe places for them to go.
“Across the county, young people have shown again and again that
they are not as portrayed - as apathetic - and that they do want to
contribute to Oxfordshire by fighting to save their services.
By ignoring their pleas, this council risks confirming young
people's worst suspicions - that politicians are not interested in
them.
“Oxfordshire county council is failing young people and failing
its dedicated workforce of trained, professional youth workers.
“The youth service in Oxfordshire is top class. It is
efficient and far more cost effective than picking up the pieces
afterwards. The jobs we do make a difference to young lives.
Oxfordshire county council must think again.”
Workers were balloted on the 18 July with the majority (14 to 1)
voting in favour of strike action.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Chantal Chegrinec in the
Unite press office on 07774 146 777 or Mike Beal on 07946 509
396
