Fight for public libraries and paid staff

Published: 17th March, 2011

• UNISON library workers also have concerns about the current consultation. 

While we are aware that the options being put forward are within the constraints of the £2million cuts, as it stands the public have no choice but to endorse one or other of the council’s proposals. 

Unison has drawn up a petition to give the public the opportunity they have not been afforded in the consultation, to just say “no” to library cuts.

What are the alternatives to reduced services? Readers should be aware that over 27 posts, representing a 17 per cent cut have already gone from the library service in the past year or so following two reviews, with the consequent loss of expertise and experience. The so-called “back-room” work still has to be done, and has either been outsourced or fallen on the remaining front-line staff.

Unison is particularly concerned that the widespread use of volunteers is being presented in the survey as a viable option without outlining what saving, if any, this would produce. Volunteers do not come cheap. They have to be recruited, vetted, trained, managed and retained. And at what cost to the quality and consistency of the service? What price accountability, expertise and sustainability? It is not just a question of minding the shop or even promoting events. 

Library workers carry out a huge range of functions, including being a point of contact for other services. 

In addition, to fully undertake library duties, untold numbers of volunteers would need to have access to the library database which contains the details of thousands of library users. Any library handed over to “the community” is lost for ever to the public sector. Unison believes that we must continue to challenge the need for cuts to services, locally and nationally. 

Camden has sufficient reserves to stave off cuts, while the government in its determination to attack the public sector has chosen to ignore the untapped wealth to be had from such sources as evaded and uncollected taxes. Nor should we be distracted by the argument that fighting for one service or a particular library would be at the expense of another. Camden Unison with other unions and community groups is part of the Camden United Against the Cuts campaign. There is a petition at www.camdenunited.org.uk The petition to save Camden’s library service is at www.petition.co.uk/save-camden-libraries or contact Camden Unison 59 Phoenix Road, Brill Place NW1 1ES to get hard copies. 

In order to maintain and protect libraries’ unique role, we must resist reductions and continue to fight for public services run by paid staff.
Philip Lewis
Camden Unison

Shambles of a policy…

• JOHN Gulliver’s small piece on the Camden cabinet (‘Change’ is afoot at Town Hall, March 10) has solved a mystery. 

How on earth could the cabinet have made such a shambles of the borough’s library policy?

Every ward is different and it is important that the borough is administered in the best interests of all of its population, including those who do not support the party in power. 

We have now found that the cabinet has been chosen by one person, Labour leader Nasim Ali. In looking at the make-up of the cabinet, the first obvious fact is that there is a concentration of power.

Seven of the 10 cabinet members represent just three wards, close together, in the south of the borough, Holborn & Covent Garden has two members, King’s Cross has two members and Regent’s Park has three members. 

Whatever qualities these particular members bring to the committee, Cllr Ali has produced a seriously unbalanced cabinet. 

Labour’s reversion to an election for posts in the cabinet must be a move towards better representation of the people. Thirty heads must be better than one.
Alan Templeton
Chair, Camden Public Libraries Users’ Group