Amendment for Branch Meeting

The following amendment has been submitted to what will be a composite motion at tomorrow's branch meeting - the text of the composite motion will be available later this afternoon.

SAVE CHILDREN’S SERVICES IN LAMBETH
This Branch notes that;
CYPS Division faces the biggest cuts in jobs and services in the latest “reshaping” (260 jobs) including the deletion of the Connexions Service, the Targeted Youth Support Workers and workers in One O’Clock Clubs and Adventure Playgrounds and many vital administrative and support colleagues.
These cuts will have a devastating impact on the children, young people and families of Lambeth and the staff who lose their jobs and those who are left behind. The Council themselves acknowledge that children and young people in the borough experience high levels of need and child poverty.
This branch notes that these cuts are frontloaded and the cuts CYPS are supposed to deliver are much higher in the coming financial year than in later years (£11.8 million in 2011/12, £8.1 million in 2012/13 and £2.1 million in £2.1 million).
That in the last round of cuts the One O’Clock Clubs were successful in mobilising service users and their families and supporters alongside staff in a defence of jobs and services.
CYPS activists applaud the support we have already received from branch officers and stewards in other directorates in campaigning to defend jobs and services:
This branch therefore proposes that;
§ Building UNISON organisation/membership in CYPS and recruiting shop stewards in the division needs to be a priority for the Branch.
§ We resolve to arrange further ‘walkabouts’ in all CYPS workplaces with joining forms and Steward nomination forms and convene ‘surgeries’ for members to attend requesting the support of colleagues from other directorates where possible.
§ We will mobilise the service users and families of CYPS services in a mass, community and UNISON based campaign.
§ We campaign publically to defend of jobs and services in CYPS - This branch supports the public meeting “Save Children’s Services in Lambeth, Save Adventure Play & Youth Services” 12th April, Lambeth ACCORD, 6.00 PM
§ We should seek to organise a lobby of the Council/public protest against cuts in Children’s Services in Lambeth.
§ We will circulate a petition against cuts in CYPS
§ We should support the proposal consultative ballot for industrial action.
Proposed; Rebecca Townesend, Connexions Personal Adviser CYPS
Seconded: Andrew Tullis, UNISON Convenor CYPS