A Rhondda councillor has written to Carwyn Jones urging him to intervene over the way the Labour-led RCT local authority has treated its low-paid staff.
Sera Evans-Fear, who represents the Treorci ward, said it was unfair that hard-working employees were being punished for the council’s budget deficit by having their terms and conditions downgraded. Some staff face losing up to 40% of their income just as council tax is set to rise by nearly 3%.
The letter, which was also sent to Local Government Minister Carl Sargeant as well as the Labour leader in Wales, was written over the weekend while the Labour Party in Wales held their annual conference at Llandudno.
At the same time, hundreds of workers marched through Pontypridd town centre with banners to protest against the way the local authority has steamrollered through the changes which the trade unions say was done without satisfactory consultation. The GMB Union went as far as accusing the council of engaging in “gunboat diplomacy.”
Many workers have also accused the council of using “bully-boy” tactics and bribery to ensure workers sign-up to the changes. Meanwhile there is no evidence that the council’s plans will affect the highest earners on the pay-roll.
Ms Evans-Fear, who will contest the Rhondda constituency for Plaid Cymru in May’s Assembly elections, said in the letter: “Workers across the council are facing reductions in their pay and conditions, in some cases leaving them up to £3,000 worse off a year. This is on top of a 3% increase faced by residents in council tax.
“At the same time the Labour leadership at the council have opted to show no willingness to work with unions to find a more productive resolution to the situation.
“Other councils in Wales have found more progressive forms of moving forward with budgetary decisions, especially against a backdrop of a local government settlement from the Assembly that was better than could have been expected.
“I am urging you to intervene in this issue. As both the local government minister and as Labour leader in Wales I believe there is a responsibility on you to ensure that families in the Rhondda are not left to be marginalised by a Labour council that really should be doing more to protect its residents.
“I look forward to your response in which I hope you will outline positively what actions you will be taking.”
Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales Central, said: “RCT council workers are rightly angry about the way they have been treated by this Labour-led council. The strength of feeling at this injustice was clear and I was proud to show Plaid Cymru’s support by taking part in the march.
“The viability of many people’s jobs and the future of our communities are being threatened by these punitive changes and I hope the powers-that-be on this Labour-led council are persuaded to go back to the negotiating table to come up with a fairer and more progressive means of addressing the budget black-hole.”
