Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSUNISON warns against public sector spending cuts
The union UNISON has urged ministers to maintain spending levels and guarantee jobs after news emerged that public sector workers are increasingly worried about the threat of redundancy, funding cuts and an increased workload.
With public spending emerging as a key battleground on which next year’s general election will be fought, research conducted by the union shows workers fear that spending cuts will lead to staff shortages, heavier workloads and a decline in the standard of services provided.
UNISON warned that cuts would further hit a sector in which thousands of jobs had already been lost in the past year, adding that such measures would seriously compromise the ability of staff in the health and education professions to do their job properly.
General secretary Dave Prentis said: “Our survey dispels the myth that public sector workers are immune from the worst effects of the recession. Fear for their jobs, and for their families’ jobs, came top of the list when we asked them about their biggest worries.
“Low pay is still rife in the public sector, with many getting as little as 0.5% increase this year, and the threat of pay freezes looming over others.”
Public sector workers top ten worries are:
1. The threat of redundancy
2. Worries over pay
3. Restructuring/privatisation– constant changes to working practices
4. Funding cutbacks
5. Bad management
6. Increased workload
7. Morale
8. Disciplinaries, health and safety
9. Staff shortages
10. The economy
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