the city has suffered some of the worst cuts of any local area in the country.
–INCORRECT. The cuts have been the same across the country, except in Southampton the city council decided to try to retain jobs by cutting higher paid staff pay-THOSE ON £65K YEAR–cut by 5.5%. Unlike Labour controlled manchester whom cut 2000 jobs.

most significantly in terms of the industrial action, the council announced that all staff earning over £17,500 would be subjected to a 5.4 per cent pay cut and 250 council jobs would go–INCORRECT. Only those making over £65k per year will be getting the 5.5% pay cut, but they also get an additional 5 days holiday time. Staff on less then £21k actually getting pay RISE. The pay cuts are incremental, meaning those on less pay get less cut.

This ‘offer’ was unanimously rejected by Unite and Unison, the unions representing the majority of Southampton’s council workers. –INCORRECT. 11% of staff voted to strike out of 22% participation to vote. this is hardly “unanimous”. Most staff realised the goal was to save jobs and signed their new terms and conditions.

Toll collectors from Southampton’s Itchen bridge and traffic wardens walked out for a series of week-long strikes, estimated to cost the council a quarter of a million in toll collection and parking fines, no doubt much to the delight of Southampton’s drivers.
INCORRECT. £250k is complete fabrication. try getting a FOI on the actual amount if you like. By deducting staff wages, the overall cost to SCC was about £20k as most law abiding people paid their parking and the bridges were manned by managers at peak times. Nice attempt at PR but a complete lie.

piles of rubbish are mounting up outside houses, particularly where Southampton’s student population has moved en masse out of the city for the summer.–REALLY? so students that have LEFT the city are generating rubbish in the city?…umm..not quite…the areas where rubbish got piled up was predominately council areas populated by irresponsible people on benefits while if you go to any area where people work for a living and take responsibility for there lives, you would note that those people just took their rubbish to the dump….

While the action has not been constant, the waves of on-off strikes have left mountains of rubbish baking in the sunshine, attracting flies and rats. RATS? COMPLETE FICTION. flies yes, in the council block areas.

Yet there has been little backlash.’People are still generally supportive,’ says Mike Tucker. –COMPLETE FICTION. tell that to the rubbish bin collectors whom were threatened and blocked in by residents demanding their rubbish be collected…

‘They want nothing more than to be back at work, but they’re in a position where they don’t feel they have any choice. Some workers are in a position where, with inflation, they could be losing 15 per cent of their income in one year.’–COMPLETE FICTION BY UNION LEADERSHIP.

After six weeks of strikes, the unions remain resolute. This week the action has spread to embrace more sections of the council’s staff. Port health officers are now on strike, causing problems for the city’s £300 million a year port.–INCORRECT. vast majority of port is private and they carry on working. ABP has hired temps to do some other jobs.

Street sweepers, library workers, building maintenance workers — NO ONE CARES ABOUT THESE…

‘The tactics we are developing here,’ says Mike Tucker, ‘will be used elsewhere.’ —GOOD LUCK!!

‘They are trying to solve their own financial problems at the expense of the workers. Their political priorities come first. Southampton is almost unique in having a council tax exemption for all over-65s: an expensive policy which keeps them voting Tory. Then they found £15 million to spend on the Titanic Museum.’–COMPLETE FICTION. council tax exemption for over 65′s, some of the most vulnerable in society, cost SCC £1 million per year = 30 union jobs. SCC needs to find £65 million over 4 years. The Titanic museum £15 million is from Capital spending and lottery heritage grants, nothing to do with the revenue accounts and the union leadership knows this, but its a good PR line. COMPLETE NONSENSE.

I DOUBT VERY MUCH YOU WILL HAVE THE COURAGE TO PRINT THIS COMMENT AS THE TRUTH IS HARD TO HEAR…is it better to have a pay cut and a job or is it better to have NO job ??? decide….