Connexions Fightback Stops Compulsory Redundancies

We heard the most fantastic news today. The threat of compulsory redundancies for Birmingham Connexions staff has been withdrawn. They will not be going through the redundancy selection process which was due to start at the end of February.As the staff notice from the Acting Lead Officer for Connexions says "no further redundancies from our service are required at this stage".

Just last week we were steeling ourselves to re-commence the lobbying process to defend Connexions members from compulsory redundancies for a second year running. In the city council's budgetary Section 188 notice for the cuts for the next financial year, they threatened to cut 105 out of 172 full time equivalent posts.

Now management has announced that through various means, including voluntary redundancies and redeployment elsewhere, they will be able to avoid compulsory redundancies. There is even agreement that the service can carry on with a projected £870,000 overspend on a £3.8 million budget.

There will still be terrible service cuts, with the closure of offices in Northfield, Yardley and Erdington. And the service will be a targetted one, not a universal one anymore. We continue to oppose these cuts in service and the drastic impact these will have on a generation of young people in the city who are facing the worst conditions in living memory to enter the jobs market.

BUT without the opposition of our stewards committee in Connexions, the Connexions staff themselves, our campaigning allies in Birmingham Against The Cuts and all those who have supported the Save Connexions campaign, the cuts would have been far, far, worse.

This is a victory for those who have been prepared to take industrial action, to take round petitions, to hand out leaflets to the public, to lobby their councillors, to march on the Council House, to speak at meetings throughout the city, to give endless interviews to the media and above all to never give up.

So well done Connexions stewards and members and thanks to all who have supported them.

We do not just stop there. There are always more threats to follow. The Government is washing its hands of its responsibilities towards careers advice for young people. Future funding will need to come more from cash-strapped schools. But we retain our union organisation within Connexions and the Connexions members have another well-earned victory under their belts.

We need to continue to make the case for the restoration of Connexions. The Council has a vital role to support tens of thousands of young people in the city. We cannot abandon young people to a future on the dole.

Graeme Horn
Joint Branch Secretary