Public sector unions hit back

Public sector unions are hitting out at the clamour for “efficiency” savings, and highlighting alternative waste-cutting measures.

Over 500,000 public sector jobs could go over the next five years, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, the professional body for human resource managers.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS union which represents revenue and customs staff, urged the main parties to start by tackling the £120 billion a year tax gap. “As well as the £25 billion a year lost through tax avoidance, £28 billion goes uncollected because of a lack of resources in HM Revenue and Customs, and £70 billion is evaded by some very wealthy and powerful individuals and organisations,” he said.

At local government level, the UNISON public services union has identified upwards of £130 million a year spent by Welsh councils on agency staff and consultants. Caerphilly and Cardiff councils were identified as the “biggest culprits” in the union’s research, which identified a £31 million spend by the two in this area.They managed to spend £5.8 million and £2 million respectively on consultants in 2008-09, and £5 million and a “staggering” £18.2 million on agency workers.

Dominic MacAskill, the union’s head of local government in Wales, said that if councils could save 10% of their consultancy and agency costs “that would be £13 million to put into frontline services — the equivalent of around 1,000 homecare workers or 1,000 teaching assistants”.