Birmingham Budget Cuts

Liam Byrne talks cuts, education and the 'Martini' contract

2011-07-22T21:49:00.007+01:00

Today Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne was at Hutton Hall in Birmingham to attend a Funders Conference.

We discussed the recent report that 1 in 3 of his constituents in Hodge Hill had no formal qualifications and how successful community groups were in helping people within communities become more employable.

The 'Martini' contract which has caused great consternation and distress amongst public sector workers in Birmingham was also mentioned but the MP was unaware of the name workers had given to the change in their conditions of service.

You can listen to the interview using the player below.

Liam Byrne MP, discussing community involvement and education standards in the West Midlands (mp3)

Full Council Meeting (5/7/11)

2011-07-05T11:33:00.000+01:00

A live feed of today's full council meeting which begins at 2pm. The agenda for the meeting can be viewed here. If you wish to debate the issues raised in the meeting on Twitter, the hashtag to use is #bcclive.

Broadcasting Live with Ustream.TV

Birmingham City Council meeting (July 5)

Public Sector Day of Action 30th June 2011

2011-07-01T00:02:00.003+01:00

Today saw mass protests around Birmingham, culminating in a rally in Victoria Square and a march around the city where public sector workers showed their objection to changes to contracts, redundancies and pension reforms.

Among those protesting, I spoke to Library Workers dismayed by the council's decision to categorise them as generic council workers who could be called upon to work in any council function and not in the work for which they had experience and training.

This contract change, nicknamed the 'Martini Contract' after the old Martini advertising slogan which read "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere", is of great concern to many of the workers I spoke to who also expressed dismay at the removal of overtime/weekend payments, revised hours which could include Sundays and it being against the terms of the contract to get a second job.

Phillipa Hands who is a library steward described how her pay had only increased £3,000 over 21 years which in real terms amounts to a pay cut.

Below are a series of audio interviews with protesters, recorded in Victoria Square.

Roger King, General Secretary of Birmingham NUT speaking during the Public Sector strike day (mp3)

Simon Furze, Regional Organiser of the West Midlands Socialist Workers Party speaking during the Public Sector strike day (mp3)

Jackie Toolan from Social Services Home Care speaking during the Public Sector strike day (mp3)

Chris Smith, Secretary of the West Midlands Pensioners Convention speaking during the Public Sector strike day (mp3)

Music and Speech from the Public Sector strike day (mp3)

Kings Heath Park to Lose Gardeners Weekend

2011-06-03T14:10:00.001+01:00

Kings Heath Park is set to lose 'Gardeners Weekend as Birmingham City Council looks to save £60,000.

The annual event has been held at the park for the last 20 years and is much loved by local residents.

Councillor Martin Mullaney, the minister behind the policy said “The problem we have is the weekend at Kings Heath Park loses £50,000 to £60,000 a year because we have to put on security and pay for parking and coaches."

Down at the park the news was met with anger, "Well it may cost £50,000 but surely that cost is offset by the number of visitors and the raising of the profile of the area" argued local artist Mrs Wormott.

Brett Sheridan, marketing manager of local gardeing center Earlswood Nurseries, told aboutmyarea that his business would suffer as a result of the planned changes "Kings Heath Park is an ideal location for us. We've been going for the past seven years and it does generate business for us. The timing is very good because it gives us a boost to help us through the quieter times of Autumn and Winter."

However David Papadopolus of Highbury Park Friends told BirminghamPhotoReporter "I would be sad to see it go, but I agree with Mullaney that it's lost custom, and pizazz, over the last few years, so maybe a change is better than a rest."

We also contacted Simon Cooper, Constituency Parks Manager who said "I am afraid I am not involved in the decision making insofar as the future of the Gardeners Show but it is well documented just how difficult the existing financial climate is for all local authorities to operate let alone Birmingham. From a strictly personal perspective I don't think it harms to revisit and review the Gardeners Show and maybe the break or change of location will be an opportunity to refresh the whole concept."

Budget Cuts Round Up

2011-06-01T23:03:00.004+01:00

COUNCIL FACING HUGE BILL

Birmingham City Council could face a legal bill of around £600,000, after the cabinet lost two High Court cases.

The council was judged to have breached the Disability Discrimination Act, after it proposed to cut funding to disabled adults, affecting around 4,500 adults.

As a result of the court decision, the council have been ordered to halt the cuts, and to "undertake proper public consultation" before any final decisions are made.

Read the full story here: http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2011/05/27/birmingham-city-council-facing-600-000-legal-bill-over-unlawful-budget-cuts-65233-28777029/

ARTS COMPANY ATTEMPTING TO BOOST ITS PROFILE

The Birmingham Royal Ballet Company is currently undertaking a 3-week tour of Japan in order to promote the company and the city of Birmingham.

The ballet is also trying to boost funds, after Birmingham City Council revealed they were planning to cut up to 15% funding as a result of the budget cuts.

Read more here: http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/theatre-in-birmingham/2011/05/20/birmingham-royal-ballet-s-eastern-promise-65233-28716467/

UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES TUITION FEES INCREASE FOR 2012

Birmingham City University have recently announced they will be increasing their tuition fees from September 2012.

Fees will vary from £7.500 for students choosing to study courses such as childcare. Meanwhile, those who are planning to study music and acting can expect to be charged up to £9,000.

The University say they have been forced to increase their fees as a result of the Government funding cuts.

Read more here: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/news-events/news/fees-from2012

COUNCIL JOBS BEGIN TO GO IN DUDLEY

Dudley is beginning to feel the effects of the recent budget cuts after the council approved 52 redundancies.

The council will have to lose more than 400 jobs this year in order to save a total of £22million. A total of 800 jobs will have gone by 2014, increasing unemployment further.

Read more here:
http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/9047729.Cuts_start_to_bite_as_52_council_jobs_go_in_Dudley/

COUNCIL SHUFFLE IN DUDLEY

Dudley Council has reshuffled its cabinet in order to deal with the impending budget cuts for the area.

The council needs to cut £22 million from its budget by March 2012.

To find out more about the reshuffle, read here: http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/9047928.Politicans_take_their_seats_at_Dudley_s_top_table/

Full Council Meeting - Live Stream

2011-05-23T16:16:00.007+01:00

On Tuesday 24 May 2011 Birmingham City Council will stream their council meeting live for the first time.

You can view the full agenda here and view the meeting in the video window below.

Streaming live video by Ustream

You can also join in with an online chat using the box below.

Stream videos at Ustream

Or you can contribute online using Twitter by using the #bccmeetings hashtag and you can view the hashtag Twitter feed below.

Birmingham City Council Local Elections 2011: Ward by Ward results

2011-05-06T10:55:00.000+01:00

Despite Labour becoming the largest party on Birmingham City Council, the authority is set to remain in a Tory/Lib Dem coalition.

The Lib Dems suffered big losses in Birmingham, losing some seats which they had held for the best part of 20 years.

For ward-by-ward results, visit the Birmingham Post.

Poll says ‘no’ to Gove and £9,000 tuition fees

2011-04-22T10:19:00.008+01:00

A survey of 100 prospective university students for Birmingham Budget Cuts confirmed their anger, frustration and discontent at the government's handling of university education.

82% voted against a lifting of the cap on tuition fees, with 3 ‘unsure’ and 15 in agreement. Universities will be able to charge up to £9,000 per year from 2012 upon approval of the Office for Fair Access (Offa).

Second-year college students considering university entry in 2012 were asked if they believed that applicants would effectively shop around for the cheapest degree. 73% agreed and 27% disagreed.

Despite these high statistics, just over half – 51% – said this would deter them from studying for a degree. 43% voted ‘no’ and the remaining 6% were ‘unsure’.

Kirsty Juniper, a prospective journalist, said: “Universities will charge whatever the hell they like, regardless. It isn’t fair that Lincoln University will be charging as much as Cambridge.”

Ron Griffen, a political author, said: “Students don’t agree with higher fees but still want to study at university. In America, a graduate leaves university with debts of up to $100,000.

“We have to cut our deficit, and students aren’t immune. They have to make a contribution and you could say this is the government’s way of balancing responsibility. But then again, students didn’t cripple the economy, so should they be hit as a result of cutbacks? Yes and no.”

Undergraduates starting in 2012 will repay government loans once they are earning £21,000 or more. On comparison, students in Scotland pay no tuition fees.

A group of students from Phoenix Collegiate believe they are being forced to pay the price of the previous government’s recklessness and that a country’s deficit problem is being placed on their shoulders as they are seen as the vulnerable and ‘much easier targets than bankers’.

Concerns from prospective students come on the day it was announced that all universities are to charge at least £6,000, according to The Guardian.

Warwick and Aston have already declared they will be charging £9,000 with Wolverhampton, Stafford and Birmingham City expected to announce their decisions shortly.

In an FOI request to Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham University, he replied that from 2012/13 they are ‘planning to introduce enhanced financial support for students from lower income backgrounds and increase outreach activities to promote fair access’.

“In the face of Government funding cuts, from 2012/13 we intend to charge full-time UK and EU entrants to our undergraduate courses a fee of £9,000 per annum – subject to approval by the Offa.”

Information from The Daily Mail suggests students face a £50,000 bill for a three-year degree from next year due to increased fees and the rising cost of living.

“Government cuts mean we’re paying for a deficit we didn’t cause, and times are harder. Poorer students are being hit hardest, university budgets are being cut and it seems like the government doesn’t want anyone to study anymore. It’s an outrage, ” said student Becky Smith.

13 BSF projects scrapped in Birmingham

2011-04-21T22:03:00.005+01:00

Raw data released by The Guardian shows that 13 Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects have been scrapped in Birmingham, with 8 unaffected in Labour constituencies.

Schools including Bartley Green and Baskerville – under Gisela Stuart MP’s Edgbaston constituency – and Aston Manor in Ladywood, have seen their funding for refurbishment stopped.

Statistics compiled paint a clearer picture of the situation in the Midlands following the criticism of the government in distributing incorrect figures to authorities. Verified by the construction magazine ‘Building’ the list of scrapped BSF projects confirm that 13 of 28 schools have had their plans for rebuilding work stopped, with the remainder currently in discussion or unaffected.

Figures show that Labour has been forced to stop the majority of projects and the Liberal Democrats the least – due, partially, to the formation of the Con-Lib coalition government where Labour terminated projects in around 418 constituencies across the country. This is compared to 258 for the Conservative Party and 43 for the Liberal Democrats.

Bryan Webb, a financial analyst and accountant, said: “These figures provide an inconclusive overview of BSF. You need to remember that the coalition government brought the hammer down on various constituencies, and it is only too easy to get confused with the fact that Labour probably had little control over these measures as apposed to making the changes directly.

“The total number of projects were 112 across Birmingham and the Midlands. Of the BSF projects stopped, 39 were Labour, 9 Conservative and 1 Lib Dem. As there’s more Labour constituencies it is obvious that they would bear the brunt of this. Most unaffected BSF projects also belong to a Labour constituency, so it is apparent that these factors need to be considered without bias.

“Without a breakdown of this data, it would have been difficult to tell how everything isn’t as bad as the media make out. If 50% of funding has stopped, and 50% is unaffected on a regional basis, when the decisions of the ‘in discussion’ academies are finalised, we won’t have such a balanced 50-50 share. One will go up, one will go down. Don’t confuse politics with financial distribution.”

A Google Map highlights how Wolverhampton is the least affected. Birmingham and Coventry are amongst the largest casualties. Shaun Henefer, a maths undergraduate, noticed a pattern emerge:

“What makes these statistics look more damaging than they actually are is the fact that you don’t see a visual representation of exactly how widespread the stoppages or unaffected decisions are – the larger the constituency groups, the greater leeway in enforcing cuts.

“Birmingham vs Dudley... it’s demographic, economical, mathematical decision making and perhaps with Wolverhampton remaining unaffected, a slight hint of political competency.”

Michael Gove announced the scrapping of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme pioneered by the previous Labour government which has caused anger amongst school teachers, heads and teachers unions.

Paul Bradshaw, a senior lecturer and world expert in online journalism, said: “There’s a key point of context lacking; how many constituencies in the Midlands are Labour, Conservative or Lib Dem? If 70% of constituencies are Labour then 70% of cancelled programmes being in Labour constituencies isn’t surprising, for instance.”

According to the data, of the 112 constituencies in the West Midlands and Birmingham 85 were Labour, 25 Conservative and 2 Liberal Democrat.

The Birmingham Post and Guardian websites were used to verify the statistics.

Click here to view the Google Map

of BSF Projects Stopped in Birmingham and the Midlands

(in association with Geomaps.com)

Birmingham Council social care cuts ruled unlawful by High Court

2011-04-20T18:37:00.000+01:00

Birmingham Social Services is facing a fresh funding crisis after a High Court judge ruled a controversial cost-cutting plan to be unlawful.

Mr Justice Walker found that city council leaders ignored provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act when they decided to stop providing care packages for about 4,000 adults whose needs are assessed as being substantial.

His interim judgment blows a hole in the council’s budget, since the local authority had been expecting to save £17.5 million this year by restricting social care packages only to clients whose needs are critical.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham Council faces High Court again over spending cuts

2011-04-08T10:39:00.000+01:00

Birmingham City Council is facing a second major legal challenge to its budget, this time by the relatives of a woman with learning disabilities who are challenging a decision to cut £53 million from adult social services.
Lawyers acting for the 65-year-old, who is currently in a care home, are seeking a judicial review in the High Court and will claim that a cuts programme was approved without properly consulting vulnerable people and their families who would be affected by the decision.
Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Connexions staff protest over closures

2011-04-06T17:46:00.009+01:00

"Prices going up, prices going up, we don't need no education cuts" was the rallying cry at a protest today organised by UNISON.

Crowds gathered waving purple flags at Victoria Square, to protest against the closure of three Birmingham Connexions offices in Kings Heath, Handsworth and Erdington.

Jack Dromey MP and UNISON Assistant General Secretary, Roger McKenzie addressed the crowd, drawing attention to the closure of the Connexions services in Birmingham.

Before the rally, Roger McKenzie said: "The work of Connexions staff supporting young people is first class. That is why we are supporting the fight to stop these plans and safeguard an all age careers service for the schools, young people and parents of Birmingham”

Birmingham City Council is cutting services for young people at a time of spiralling youth unemployment.

At the rally, Keith Heron, a protestor said:"Without the Connexions offices young people are going to struggle to find a job; youth unemployment is a major issue. The local elections are coming up so the local councillors need to listen to what we are saying as it is their responsibility and they are making the cuts."

The rally was held following a planned walk-out by UNISON Connexions members at the three centres in Birmingham.

The sun shone down as the First of May Band from Banner Theatre performed, singing about the cuts with many of the protestors joining in.

The Banner Theatre is one of Britain's longest established community theatre companies working with trade unions and marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

Police ban cuts activist from royal wedding

2011-04-04T11:41:00.007+01:00

A leading Birmingham activist named Tom – who has asked we don’t use his last name – was among 145 people arrested for aggravated trespass and charged under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1990 on the largest union-organised event for twenty years.

His bail conditions are that he is banned from London during the royal wedding.

This news comes as police announce a clampdown on the possibility of anarchists disrupting the royal wedding procedures, with a full-scale police crackdown prior to the wedding being considered by authorities.

Tom said: “I went to the ULU Education feeder march, and met up with other activists from Birmingham. This march left shortly after 11am, and we joined up with the main TUC march near Temple Street tube station. The march was moving slowly and after a brief discussion we decided to leave it and head for Oxford Street for the UKUncut actions taking place from 2pm.”

More than 600 coaches and dozens of trains were hired, including transport organised by TUC (Trade Unions Congress). Tom estimates that thousands of people left the march and came onto Oxford Street to take direct action against banks and tax avoiders.

“Oxford Street was closed to traffic because of the number of people demonstrating there, and we sat down in the middle of Oxford Street to have lunch, near a sound system where people were dancing around and having an impromptu street party.”

Tom said he managed to rejoin with other people from Birmingham and then made their way to Oxford Circus to join the UKUncut action against a secret target.

“At around 3:30pm, UKUncut flags were hoisted and we made our way down Regent Street. I was handed a card telling me that green was my colour, and followed the green umbrellas down to Piccadilly, having no idea what the target was.

“As we approached Fortnum and Mason, I saw the umbrellas go into the doors and followed them. At no point did I force entry as has been alleged by the police.”

Tom told of the moment when he was arrested: “At 6pm we decided to leave and had assurances from the police that we would be let go, were told that Green Park tube station was the nearest station and that it was open, and all linked arms and left the store, into a police kettle, from which we were individually arrested.

I was taken in a police van along with one other protester to Romford police station, where I was told I was being arrested for aggravated trespass and criminal damage.”

Tom’s possessions were removed, including his outer clothing, and his fingerprints, DNA and photo were taken to add to the police database. He was placed into a cell where he remained for around twenty hours until he was able to see his solicitor at approximately 4pm on Sunday.

His solicitor advised him that the police were not going to interview anyone and that he was going to be charged and bailed. Tom was read a statement by the police about the course of events on the day to which he replied "no comment" on legal advice.

“I was then returned to my cell and waited to be released at around 7pm. The police retained my outer clothing and phone for evidence.”

Tom said he thought he had been arrested because the commanding officer for Oxford Street became concerned about the low number of arrests.

Tom has no plans to attend the Royal Wedding and Mayday demonstrations, and believes he is fighting a just cause taking direct action against tax avoiders because closing the tax gap forms part of the alternatives to cuts.

London, Budget Protest, 23/03/11, Videos, Photos.

2011-04-01T16:42:00.001+01:00

A protest march from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament took place last Wednesday to protest against Chancellor George Osborne's first budget. We headed down to London to see what the protesters had to say.

Trafalgar Square, 5 PM, protesters begin to gather.

Groups represented at the protest included:

CND (Campaign For Nuclear Disarmanment).

Disabled People Against the Cuts.

The NHS.

The Homeless.

And the Stop the War Coalition

After gathering numbers, handing out placards and okaying the route with the police, the March began. Traveling the short distance from Trafalgar Square to a location near the Houses of Parliament, the protesters sang songs, chanted and were with met applause from passers by.

Once at the allotted space near Parliament the protest organisers took it in turn to address the crowd.

Paul Mackney, speaking for the ‘Coalition of Resistance’, congraltulated the people who had occupied banks and the buildings of Philip Green (Owner of Topshop).He talked of the hypocrisy of the government having no money for libraries but plenty of funds for Libya.Mr Mackney called Nick clegg a ‘lying sycophant’ saying ‘scratch a Liberal, find a Tory’. He called for people to support the Trade Union Council (TUC) march on Saturday saying that students have demonstrated what to do, and stating that the TUC march is’ only the end of the beginning of these marches’.

Paul Mackney

Lindsey German spoke for ‘Stop the War’, Lindsey said that whilst welfare is being cut money is being thrown into wars in the middle east to protect our own interests in oil and gas. She told the crowd that the war in Afghanistan has been going on for longer than either of the World Wars. She finished her speech with a comment directed at the Nick Clegg and David Cameron ‘do not think that you can cover up bad government by taking us to war’.

Lindsey German

Eleanor Lisney, who had traveled down from Birmingham, talked on behalf of ‘Disabled People Against The Cuts’. She announced that this Saturday would be the first time that disabled people had marched along with the main protests. She said that they are doing this because they are very angry over the announced cuts. Lisney went on to say that basic human rights are being lost and that ‘if this is Cameron’s idea of a big society, we don’t want a part of it’.

Eleanor Lisney.

Kate Hudson, who is the general secretary of CND, asked the crowd 'Why is our government squandering billions of pounds a year on weapons of death and mass destruction?' She said that this year we will spend 2.2 billion on weapons which could be spent on welfare instead.

Kate Hudson.

After all the speakers had, had their say the crowd struck up a chant encouraging more protesters to gather for the TUC march on Saturday 'We say tax the rich, join us on the 26th, we say tax the rich, join us on the 26th.'

Decision to axe £1.4m funding for Birmingham voluntary groups ruled unlawful

2011-04-01T09:41:00.000+01:00

A decision to axe a £1.4 million funding package for 13 voluntary organisations, including the Citizens Advice Bureau, was unlawful, a High Court Judge has ruled.

Mr Justice Blake said a Birmingham City Council decision to stop giving money to groups such as the Citizens Advice Bureau was “clearly defective” and that councillors appeared not to understand their obligations under the Race Relations Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Disability Discrimination Act.

Council leaders failed to take proper account of the impact that withdrawing grants would have on disabled and vulnerable people, the judge added.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Inquiry into Birmingham youth service budget cuts

2011-03-31T11:37:00.000+01:00

BIRMINGHAM’S education watchdog committee has launched an inquiry into the impact of youth service cuts on teenagers in response to a huge petition signed by 15,600 youngsters.

Thousands of teenagers have pleaded for the city’s youth centres and services to be protected. It was the first time a petition large enough to trigger a special scrutiny committee hearing had been seen in Birmingham.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Mail.

Cameron challenged over West Midlands police officers being forced to retire

2011-03-31T11:27:00.001+01:00

David Cameron was challenged to explain why an experienced West Midlands Police officer had been forced into retirement at the age of just 48 as he clashed with Labour over spending cuts.

Labour leader Ed Miliband highlighted the case of Dave Hewitt, who led a team tackling team tackling anti-social behaviour, such as dangerous dogs, nuisance neighbours and cannabis factories, but has now been forced out of the police service

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

23 West Midlands arts groups lose funding from Arts Council

2011-03-30T13:56:00.000+01:00

Arts organisations in the West Midlands will receive £132.6 million over three years from April 2012 under the Arts Council England’s new funding system.

Across the region 51 groups, including eight newcomers, will benefit from the cash - but 23 organisations previously funded will lose out entirely, including Malvern Theatre.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham Connexions workers to strike on 6th April

2011-03-29T12:46:00.002+01:00

This is a press release from UNISON.

BIRMINGHAM UNISON CONNEXIONS TO STRIKE ON 6^th APRIL

Birmingahm UNISON Connexions Stewards today announced to that they will be holding industrial action on 6^th April in opposition to 30% cuts in the Connexions service from April in Birmingham.

UNISON members will be protesting outside each Connexions centre in Northfield, Broad Street, Kings Health and outside the closed centre in Handsworth. A rally outside the Council House in Victoria Square will also be held at 2.30pm

Connexions has already suffered from office closures and a 17% cut this year and 36 staff are threatened with compulsory redundancy. Connexions centres in Handsworth, Aston and Erdington have already closed leaving the whole of North Birmingham without a local centre – although outreach advice has been set up in some areas.

Youth unemployment across the country is increasing with levels now reaching 15-20% in some parts of Birmingham.

Over 700 job losses are planned for Children and Young People services in Birmingham including Youth Workers, Education Welfare Workers and training schemes and voluntary organisation support for y young people.

18 coaches full of UNISON Birmingham members including a coach full of Connexions members joined half a million other protesters against the cuts in public services on Saturday to call a halt to the public Service cuts attacking services for young people and the most vulnerable.

Said Roger McKenzie, UNISON Assistant General Secretary:

“The work of Connexions staff supporting young people is first class. That is why we are supporting the fight to stop these plans and safeguard an all age careers service for the schools, young people and parents of Birmingham

Birmingham City Council are cutting services for young people at a time of spiralling youth unemployment. What kind of message does that send to the young people of Birmingham?

London Protests: Thousands say no to cuts

2011-03-27T15:42:00.009+01:00

Hundreds of thousands of people joined in the TUC's 'March for the Alternative' in central London on Saturday.

A carnival atmosphere was generated as crowds estimated at over 400, 000 marched through the capital, from the Embankment to Hyde Park in protest against the coalition government's spending cuts. Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison said the numbers far exceeded organisers' expectations and "showed the anger of ordinary working people".

Protesters booed and hissed loudly as they passed Downing Street, during an excellently organised event that otherwise passed peacefully and in high spirits. Away from the main march though, a small minority of masked anarchists hijacked the occasion, using it as an opportunity to cause damage to properties including the Ritz hotel and clash with police. Officers reported having smoke-bombs and lightbulbs filled with ammonia thrown at them.

Later at Hyde Park, crowds gathered to listen to speakers including Labour leader, Ed Miliband and TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. Barber spoke out against attacks on pensions, youth unemployment and "cuts that will decimate this country's services". He elicited whoops and cheers from an impassioned crowd when he invited Prime Minister, David Cameron: "If you want to see Big Society in action, come down to Hyde Park!"

Ed Miliband provoked a more mixed reception, with sections of the crowd booing and heckling, particularly when he admitted that some cuts were necessary to reduce the country's deficit. In the main though, he won the audience over with a short but well-delivered speech in which he expressed support for a tax on bankers' bonuses and attacked the government's cuts policy:

" There is a need for difficult choices, and some cuts. But this government is going too far and too fast and destroying the fabric of our communities".

"... Our struggle is to fight to preserve, protect and defend the best of the services we cherish because they represent the best of the country we love".

(More photographs available on our Facebook group page)

Follow our live feed of London demonstration

2011-03-26T12:26:00.000Z

To see the latest on what's happening in London, check out our live twitter feed where we're aggregating tweets from the protest.

Aston University to charge top rate of tuition fee

2011-03-25T10:41:00.001Z

Image from freefoto.com

Students at a Birmingham university could face tuition of £9,000 a year after it announced it was charging the highest fee possible.

It means graduates at Aston University will be expected to repay fees of up to £27,000 for three years of teaching.

Proposals to increase fees from the current maximum of £3,375 to almost three times as much have been bitterly opposed by students, and sparked a series of angry demonstrations earlier this year.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham community museums to charge for admission

2011-03-25T10:21:00.002Z

This is a press release from Birmingham City Council announcing admission fees for community museums.

Admission charges introduced to our community museums – Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, Soho House,Weoley Castle, Sarehole Mill – from April 1 2011.

This comes against a backdrop of £212m savings across Birmingham City Council. The Museums & Heritage Services section has to make significant savings for 2011/12 – £1.2m – of which £250k will need to come from community museums.

The alternative was to close one or more sites – something we were determined to avoid.

There has been significant investment in our community museums in recent years (over £30m in recent years) and are still spending £850,000 on the service in 2011/12. We remain committed to our heritage.

We have consulted the Heritage Lottery Fund, who understand there is no acceptable alternative to the introduction of charges.

Other local authorities are having the mothball sites but we have avoided that.

This decision to introduce charges has been made after every other option has been explored. There is no acceptable alternative.

Entry to the main BMAG site continues to be free.
Under-16s free of charge
No charge to access grounds and gardens – unlike National Trust etc.
A number of free days at every site throughout the year.
We have consulted the Heritage Lottery Fund, who understand there is no acceptable alternative to the introduction of charges.
Charges kept to minimum and compare favourably with similar heritage sites across the UK.

Based on research across the sector and informed by an earlier pilot at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, the proposed admission charges for the sites are as follows:

Adults £4
Concessions £3
Children under 16 FREE
Annual multi site pass £16
(Sarehole Mill has slightly lower prices of £3 for adults and £2 for concessions due to it being a smaller site)

University of Birmingham staff walk out over pensions

2011-03-23T10:22:00.000Z

Staff at the University of Birmingham staged the first of a two-day walkout in a bitter row over pensions.

A band of around 40 placard-waving workers formed a picket line at the edge of the Edgbaston campus over changes to the University Superannuation Scheme pension fund.

The strike was called by the University and Colleges Union (UCU), which is campaigning against moves to raise the retirement age for academics, increase contributions and end the final salary pension schemeA band of around 40 placard-waving workers formed a picket line at the edge of the Edgbaston campus over changes to the University Superannuation Scheme pension fund.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Protests Galore

2011-03-18T12:40:00.003Z

Birmingham is gearing up for a busy week of budget cut protests.

On Saturday 26th March, hundreds of thousands are expected to fill the streets of London, protesting against the Government's plans to cut budgets everywhere in the country. Here in Birmingham, our very own protest march will be taking place on Wednesday 23rd March, the day when the new budget will be announced by Chancellor, George Osborne. The march here in Birmingham is being organised by Birmingham Against The Cuts, of which Right To Work, a national campaign, is part of. To find out more about the London march, I spoke to Pete, an admin for the Right To Work website. He had this to say.

"I would say that recent protests have been important in building up confidence and resistance. We are hoping that the impact of hundreds of thousands on the streets on the 26th will be to lift the confidence and resistance to the cuts. Where there are large delegations from workplaces and union branches, there will be a greater expectation that they can resist, demonstrate and strike". Pete also stated that any protests around the country on the 23rd, will be on an inevitably smaller scale than the London march.
"It's fair to say that March 23rd is overshadowed by March 26th. I think the budget day protests will be seen around the country as an opportunity to build the momentum for the 26th".

The local Birmingham protest will take place at the Government Office for the West Midlands on Colmore Row, starting at 5.00pm till 6.45pm. Meanwhile, the London protest will take place just 3 days later on the 26th, assembling at the Victoria Embankment, which will then lead to Hyde Park where a rally will take place.

For more information about both protests, visit http://birminghamagainstthecuts.wordpress.com/ or http://righttowork.org.uk/

Cotteridge continues to fight against the cuts

2011-03-18T00:30:00.003Z

Stirchley and Cotteridge Against the Cuts' follow up meeting was a success, as campaigners agreed on a programme of future activity.

The meeting, which took place Wednesday 9th March, focused maily on the local day centre for the elderly and the Cotteridge Neighbourhood Office. Their hope is that they both stay open and provide the same level of service as before.

However, they are now waiting to see the outcome of the Council budget vote and how it will affect the centre.

One campaigner said: "nothing is concrete yet but the cabinet report has outlined centres across the country that will close."

The protestors will be focusing on building support for the TUC demonstration on the 26th March and the Birmingham budget day protest on March 23rd.

There will be a street stall on Saturday 19th March at Cotteridge island, 11am till 12.30pm.

It was also announced that Ed Balls would be speaking at the Selly Oak Labour Party meeting Thursday 17th March.

Stirchley and Cotteridge against the cuts next meeting will be on Monday 4th April, 7.30pm at the Stirchley Community Centre

Nurse speaks out against Q.E. cuts

2011-03-17T18:21:00.004Z

The quality of patient care is going to be seriously undermined at Birmingham's new Queen Elizabeth Hospital when its budget is cut by 17% over the next year, according to nurses working there.

Unison released figures showing that the hospital will lose £22.4 million in funding from the South Birmingham Primary Care Trust, leading to a reduction in elective surgery for heart, kidney, liver and spinal injuries and up to a 30% reduction in outpatients follow up visits (reported Birmingham Post, March 9th).

This has caused dismay amongst hospital staff and has prompted one nurse to speak out against what she sees as a dangerous threat to patient care.

Mary (not her real name) is a 28-year-old ward sister. She asked that her area of nursing not be revealed. She told me why the impending cuts are causing deep concern for her and her colleagues:

“This dramatic reduction in funding is inevitably going hit nurses hard. We're going to be overstretched and the bottom line is that patient care will suffer”.

“Overtime will be the first thing that is cut. This means that if a nurse doesn't turn up for a shift, I will be unable to call in a replacement: The nurses on duty will have to take up the slack. Because we are worked so hard, it is not uncommon for nurses to pick up bugs and to have to call in sick. And of course there is no question of allowing a nurse to treat seriously ill patients if they could potentially pass on an infection”.

“As it is, nurses tend to work 13-hour shifts, often getting only one short break, late-on in their shift. The wards are run as tightly as possible, in terms of the minimum amount of staff required to carry out all of our work, and it is difficult to imagine how this could be stretched any further. But I know that with these cuts, we certainly will be stretched further – much further”.

“As dedicated as nurses are to providing excellent care and as much as we take pride in our vocation, we are only human. We are worried about the effect these cuts will have on our ability to carry out our duties effectively. Every nurse knows that a reduction in resources can only lead to a reduction in the quality of care we are capable of providing”.

“Less effective patient care really goes against your every instinct as a nurse and as a professional. It's definitely something that is going to cause a lot of frustration. More so even than the increase to an already enormous workload”.

Of course, cuts anywhere across society are always going to be unpopular. But in the case of safeguarding the nation's health, it's difficult to see the justification for such severe cuts to funding. However you look at it, there's never been a worse time to get ill.

Highbury Park Development: A Misspending of Taxpayers Money?

2011-03-17T18:03:00.003Z

On Tue 1st March Birmingham City Council agreed to budget cuts of £212m, leading to the loss of 2,450 jobs. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-12616144

At the same time, and in the two weeks since, work on the development of a play area in Highbury Park, Kings Heath commenced.

Birmingham Budget Cuts visited the park to ask its visitors if, given the current economic climate and with the aforementioned cuts, they felt this was a sensible way for the government to be spending taxpayer’s money.

Nicolas Morris, Kings Heath resident, said that he felt it was a complete waste of money. As a primary school teacher himself, he is already seeing cut backs at the school where he works both in terms of staff and equipment. He felt surely the kids would benefit more from investment in education than in a new play area.

Peter Griffin, Moseley resident, agreed. He said that over the last couple of months his bins had very rarely been collected due to cuts enforced upon local bin men. He said he would rather see an end to rubbish piling up outside his house than an unnecessary development in the park.

Frances Pinsk, Kings Heath resident and NHS nurse, was also unhappy with her tax money being spent on this project. She called for the local council to use some common sense. She said it was stupid to see the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital hit by cuts whilst the park received funding. She asked which is more important, a new play area or peoples lives?

Having received only negative feedback from the people we spoke to at the park, we approached the council for their views.

Simon J Cooper, Constituency Parks Manager, told us that the work at Highbury Park is funded by Central Government through the Department of Education under its Play Build Initiative (www.playengland.org.uk/our-work/playbuilders-and-play-pathfinders ). He stated that the initiative started with the previous Labour Government and is continued, albeit with a reduction in the finances, by the present Conservative/Liberal coalition.

Simon then went on to say ‘If we had refused the funding then I am sure another local authority elsewhere in the country would have been more than happy to have received the funds and Highbury Park would once again have missed out on the limited opportunities to develop its parks and children's play.’

David Papadopoulos, from http://highburyparkfriends.org.uk/ also spoke of the length of time that this process has taken. He told us that local people have consistently asked for a play area in the park. He also went on to say that they would be happy to support getting volunteers to help with developments.

What are your views on this matter? Is the play area development, given the recent cuts, a misspending of taxpayers money? Or is the council simply following through with long standing plans to regenerate the local area?

Cuts to Birmingham's marketing budget

2011-03-17T16:19:00.007Z

Late last year when the Office of National Statistics (ONS) announced that, of Britain's eight core cities, unemployment rates in Birmingham were the highest, the harsh realities of the credit crunch were drawn into uncomfortably sharp focus.

The council at the time admitted that due to our local economy relying more heavily than most cities' on public sector jobs, Birmingham would be particularly hard-hit by public spending cuts, and that manufacturing would “remain the main source of gross job loss... over the next ten years”.

The one glimmer of hope on an otherwise dark horizon, according to council regeneration strategists was “in promoting the visitor economy”. In other words, tourism. Venues such as the NIA, ICC and NEC, as well as the Bull Ring shopping centre were held up as being vital to the city's ability to attract visitors and thereby keep the economy afloat.

But even this lifeline is now under threat as the council's budget cuts bite into yet another aspect of public sector funding: Marketing Birmingham has had its annual funding cut by 11%, greatly reducing it's ability to promote the city to potential visitors.

The cuts to the city's marketing budget may seem relatively inconsequential to some, in comparison to the cuts being made to other, more high-profile services. But at a time when people have less disposable income in any case, Birmingham's ability to attract visitors from outside the region is of greater importance than ever. A reduction in the revenue generated by the city's service industries and retail sectors will have knock-on effects throughout the local economy.

Although marketing probably does not feature highly on most people's list of concerns, it may prove to be an under-estimated cog in our city's economic machinery.

Budget Cuts RoundUp

2011-03-13T21:44:00.004Z

Although Birmingham City Council has passed its budget, the debate over austerity measures still rages on in the city and area. To keep you up to date, here are the latest stories.

BINMEN REACH AGREEMENT
After 9 long months, binmen have come to an agreement with Birmingham council over contract and pay disputes. The refuse workers, whose pay has been cut by £4,000 annually, voted to return to work by a two-thirds majority. Last month, the agreement was rejected by 95% of the workers.

DUDLEY COUNCIL CUTS
Dudley Council have announced cuts of up to £35 million, which could result in up to 1,000 job losses in the district, according to Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Pete Lowe. The Government announced plans to make cuts of up to £22 million this year due to reductions in grants.

SPEED CAMERA CUTS
From April, the amount of speed cameras in operation in Birmingham and the Black Country will be halved, with West Midlands Police paying £1 million to keep them in action after local authorities cut funding due to the recent budget cuts.

NEW HOSPITAL FACES CUTS
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston faces cuts of up to £22 million from the South Birmingham Primary Care Trust as part of the cuts.

BRIERLEY HILL COUNCILLOR SLAMS DUDLEY CUTS
A Brierley Hill councillor has claimed that the budget cuts in Dudley will create a "lost generation" of young people as the council announced plans this week to save £35 million from their budget.

ANGER OVER TRAIN STATION CUTS
Users of Stourbridge Town and Junction railways have hit out over plans to cut staff and the opening times at the stations.

The view of budget cuts on International Women's Day

2011-03-12T14:35:00.002Z

On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the topic on the lips of most of the women, attending the Birmingham event, was budget cuts.

Gathering at the foot of Victoria square the women in attendance banged pots and pans, sang protest songs and took it in turns to address the crowd.

Mary Pearson, speaking for ‘Birmingham Against The Cuts’ said that the cuts target the most vulnerable members of our society, children, the elderly and disabled. Mary said that the planned cuts to old peoples homes, where the majority of residents are women, will lead to the private sector taking over the services leading to raised prices.

A spokesperson for refugee women, Liz, said that refugees, including herself, come to England to seek security from an unfair and repressive society, but the cuts are ruining this. She asked where will they now go to learn English? How can they live in this society without help? She urged the crowd to fight against the cuts, saying that if they don't fight back now more cuts could be expected in the future. She also talked about the rising student tuition fees, saying that her annual income is around £10,000, so how can she afford to pay £9,000 to send her son to university.

Mary speaking on behalf of UCU (University and College Union), told the crowd that Cameron and Clegg were mocking International Women’s Day by announcing that asylum speakers and people on housing benefits would now have to pay for English classes. She said that we should all celebrate International Women’s Day by being really active and making sure that the cuts don’t happen.

Mariam, a lecturer at Birmingham University, told of her utter disgust at the government for announcing massive cuts aimed at homeless people and threatening to make it illegal to sell soup to the homeless. She said that cuts to universities would force them to have to charge the higher fees. She also told the crowd that these cuts as Birmingham Universities Vice Chancellor has just awarded himself an 11% pay rise on his £392,000 a year position.

The rally ended with traditional womens day poems and songs and finally with chants of “David Cameron can’t you see, we’re the big society”.

International Womens day was first honoured in 1911 with more than 1 million women and men attending rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.

Mixed concerns over cuts to teacher training funding

2011-03-09T23:19:00.005Z

Today, I attended the Train to Teach event hosted by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) in Birmingham which is an annual gathering of potential recruits, second or final year students considering a postgraduate course in teaching, and people considering a change and the transition to the education sector.

Representatives, staff and admissions tutors were on hand to answer any questions, and the TDA provided a range of free materials and information including the established TDA Teacher Magazine as well as advice on making an application. Upon entering the Thinktank Science Museum in Birmingham, I was informed that there would be a number of talks on teacher training, submitting a successful application and the chance to meet people from several Midlands universities.

It was a successful couple of days, running from Friday to Saturday, based on the large numbers of people who had flocked to discover more about this profession. Teachers were on hand to provide information and advice about the first year of teacher training, and there was an overwhelming presence of the TDA trying its hardest to find candidates with degrees in science, mathematics, engineering or languages, apparently priority subjects according to several promotional sources.

I spoke with admissions tutors and representatives from the major Midlands and Birmingham universities, and asked the same question: “What is the current situation regarding teacher training and are you concerned about any cuts to the education sector? What’s been scrapped – and what remains?”

Surprisingly, the response was similar across the board – universities simply do not know, and the uncertainty for next year’s allocations of both funding and candidates remains a mystery. According to several sources, the government are yet to finalise the complete financial package for this year, although allocations for subjects – an increase in primary places and a decrease in secondary – has been revealed by Michael Gove in a letter addressed to the TDA from the Department for Education.

Students who wish to apply for a PGCE in Primary or Secondary Education for 2012 will need to check government websites on a regular basis. In addition, universities confirmed there was a national shortage of students with degrees in technical or mechanical subjects which is the reason as to why the government have scrapped bursaries for what they term ‘non-priority subjects’ such as English.

English was, several years ago, a ‘priority subject’ – but mathematics, science, languages and engineering have never been in such huge demand as now. A university admissions tutor, who wishes to remain anonymous for reasons of upholding professionalism due to the uncertainty of facts and figures, said:

Funding for 2011 has been released by the government, and students are eligible to receive a maintenance loan and a tuition fees loan to cover the cost of the course. For 2012 I’m not sure what the arrangements will be, and we have already seen a decrease in the number of secondary places allocated for this year – but there was an increase in the number of primary places available. The government are really pushing for students with degrees and backgrounds in languages, science, maths or engineering to apply, which are shortage subjects. I’m told next year’s tuition fees for PGCE courses could be anywhere between £6,000 and £9,000 which is why lots of people have tried to apply this year. I’m not sure what financial support will be available next year to students, but I would think the tuition fee loan and some kind of repayable maintenance loan will be available... but the question is, how much? The government have scrapped bursaries in most areas but they still provide huge £9,000 bursaries for the technical or ‘in-demand’ subjects. With cuts to teacher training and financial packages being rethought, the government seem to be very clear on what they aim to achieve… high-calibre teachers who receive incentives and the right kind of support based on whether you are a priority candidate or not... the government definitely know what they’re doing as you also need a minimum of a 2:2 degree to even enter the profession, under plans announced by Michael Gove.

I discovered from discussion with reliable sources from universities, current teachers and staff that the government could effectively merge the TDA with the Department for Education to create a single department. According to one source, this could potentially restructure education but save millions of pounds in the process – exactly what the government aims to do in such stretching circumstances as they try to reduce Britain’s enormous deficit inherited from the previous Labour leadership. The overall picture is that of uncertainty and frustration at universities being forced to wait for allocation numbers and details of financial support for teacher training.

Birmingham Council Meeting

2011-03-07T14:23:00.001Z

“Don’t be young, don’t be ill, don’t be old” were the cries from angry protestors in the public gallery at Tuesday’s Birmingham Council meeting.

The meeting took place to agree on the proposed 212m cuts to be made by the Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition council to public services in Birmingham. The budget aims to reduce spending by about £330 million over four years, meaning that at least 2,500 full-time council jobs are set to go over the next year.

Some of the protestors were removed from the gallery amist shouts claiming the budget was “a disgrace” when Conservative Councillor Mike Whitby stood to speak.
His speech claimed that “the entire public sector must play their part in rebuilding the economy. Tailing this budget deficit is unavoidable , the decisions are about how we do it are not. The amount you spend on a service does not necessarily measure it’s value or quality.”

He also added that “satisfaction with the council amongst our citizens is at 73%”, which was met by jeers from the Labour Councillors.

The Labour Councillor’s budget amendment that was put forward by Sir Albert Bore, outlining 13m of savings for key services, was voted against by the council as the proposed cuts were agreed on.

Bore insisted that the ”cuts have fallen the hardest on the poorest” and warned that ”those with least will suffer most – contradicting governments policy.”
More than 10,000 full and part-time council employees in Birmingham can expect to have lost their jobs by 2015.

The announcment that council tax is set to stay at the same rate this year, was applauded from all areas of the chambers.

Birmingham's embattled Con-Lib coalition

2011-03-07T00:42:00.000Z

Politics.co.uk has posted an interesting article by Alex Stevenson comparing the local dynamics on Birmingham council to those in the National Parliament.

You can read the full article here.

University cuts protest

2011-03-04T16:16:00.006Z

On Thursday 24th February, Birmingham City University students joined up with union members to protest against the cuts in Birmingham. The Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) are planning to axe up to £940 million in funding for Universities in England in the next financial year with severe cuts to budgets and teaching. This could result in lecturers losing their jobs, whilst it is expected that approximately 4,300 jobs will be cut from the council itself over the next 4 years.
But it wasn't just the education cuts that people were protesting against. Amongst those who attended the protest was Pete Duffy, a representative for Cuts Against Council Conditions, who said he was disgusted at the proposed public sector cuts. "I work with people who work at the low end of the scale, such as cleaners and dinner ladies, and we are all against these cuts. These people are on a low pay and they can't afford for their wages to be cut. At a recent meeting, 95% of us voted that action needs to be taken. I will be attending the march in London, and I think action needs to be taken right now".
Also in attendance at the protest was NUT member, Stuart Richardson and Richard Hatcher who works at the University, who had some strong words to say about the budget cuts. "I believe that the cuts will decimate the board right across (the city). There isn't a family in Birmingham that won't be affected in some way by the Government". He also went on to comment on the effect the cuts will have in the Education sector. "I work in education and I understand how important education, especially early education, actually is. They're planning to cut back the Surestart programme, meaning that families and children who need to benefit from the scheme, wont".
However, opposition to the planned cuts is not limited to Birmingham. All across the country people are protesting against the cuts in their respective towns and cities, whilst a huge march is scheduled to take place in London on 26 March 2011, protesting the cuts to public spending. It is thought that up 250,000 members of the public will attend the protest, which has been organised by the Trades Union Congress.
For more information about the march in London and for details on transportation to London from Birmingham, visit http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2011/01/tuc-national-demonstration-against-cuts-26-march-london/

BCU Budget Cut Protest

2011-03-04T16:08:00.006Z

There was a low turnout for a protest against the cuts that Birmingham City University will be facing. Only a handful of students, a few lecturers and some TUC members turned up for this protest at the Perry Barr campus. Flyers were handed out, petitions signed and points put across through a loudspeaker, but the protest will have to go down as a relative failure due to the lack of interest. The timing of the event didn't help, 12:30, when most students and lecturers were still in class, but most of the passing students we spoke to blamed a lack of knowledge and publicity.

The students that were there though did have strong opinions to express;

Karen, an English student at BCU, felt that the students and the university shouldn't have to pay for a crisis that they didn't cause. She said that the rising tuition fees and the cuts would not affect her but would affect her sister who would probably now be deterred from going to university. Karen also raised the point that the politicians implementing the fees and cuts enjoyed a free education when they attended University.

Nick Harte, Music and Technology student at BCU, helped organise the protest. He told us that the government was planning to cut funds to Birmingham City University by 80%. He said his course was already feeling the repercussion of cuts as he had seen a lecturer let go and no new equipment come in. He felt that the high fees would put off a lot of potential students and that the managers of the universities should make a stand against the politicians and refuse to accept the cuts. He also urged people to attend the TUC national demonstration which will be taking place in London on Saturday the 26th March.

Sociology and Politics student, Aiden had traveled from nearby Aston University to lend his support. He called the cuts across education and the council 'disgusting'. Aiden felt that £7 billion could be saved from bankers bonuses and £25 billion could be saved with a crackdown on corporate tax avoidance.

12:00 and the protest begins.

TUC representative Mr Richardson helps set up.

'Birmingham Against The Cuts' flyers are handed out.

Media and Communications student Kate James signs the petition.

Stop the cuts!

Further protests are planned:

The 'Birmingham Against The Cuts' rally Tuesday 1st March from 2pm outside Birmingham Council House, Victoria Square.

TUC National Demonstration. Saturday 26th March, London. Coaches available from Birmingham - contact 'Birmingham Against the Cuts' or your union for details of transport.

Approved: Harshest spending cuts in Birmingham Council's 173-year history

2011-03-01T19:34:00.000Z

The harshest spending cuts in Birmingham City Council’s 173-year history have been approved as Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors agreed to slash public services by £212 million.

A long and rowdy council meeting heard claims that next year’s budget would unfairly hit pensioners, children and the poor, while leaving thousands of vulnerable elderly people to rely on the private and voluntary sectors for social care in future.

Read the entire story in the Birmingham Mail.

Infographic: Birmingham Council Corporate Structure with Salaries

2011-02-28T13:24:00.001Z

This infographic merges the salaries of Birmingham City Council officers (chief executive, directors and assistant directors) with a flow chart of Council's corporate structure. Essentially, it's a visual representation of who earns what and where they sit in the corporate hierarchy.

Too view in larger window click here.

To view in larger window click here.

Save Cotteridge Church Day Centre

2011-02-28T10:16:00.002Z

Angry residents fear that the most vulnerable people will be left out in the cold in light of the latest cuts.

Dozens of people voiced their concerns at a public meeting held on Wednesday and questioned Councillor Nigel Dawkins over what they believe will be the inevitable closure of the Cotteridge Church Day centre, without the £68,000 government funding for a much loved resource for older people in the area.

A local Nurse said: "Social integration for the vulnerable is essential for everyone to be included so that no-one left behind."

As with thousands of centres like this one in Cotteridge, the effect of cuts in government funding mean that even with ‘Big Society’ volunteer help and donations, they could still face closure.

Another worried local said: “How will we provide services for people without the funding? Where else will people go?"

The Councillor at the meeting said: “These are difficult times; we are facing huge cuts that are not our choice. We will try and squeeze the maximum benefit out of the budget we have. Hopefully when the economy is stronger we will be able to reinvest in these services." He also assured residents that the cabinet member will ‘hear the cries of Cotteridge.’

The council also proposes to close half of the neighbourhood offices in the city, which was met with outrage from the meeting attendees who marched on Saturday, 12pm-2pm outside St. Phillips Cathedral and joined in with the fight against the cuts.

Twitter #cuts map

2011-02-28T01:23:00.002Z

Below is a map which shows all geotagged Twitter posts from the Birmingham area which contain the word 'cuts' in them. Hopefully, it will provide an interesting and regularly updated map showing the latest thoughts of Birmingham residents on this very sensitive and emotive issue.

Twitter #cuts map

2011-02-28T01:23:00.000Z

Twitter #cuts map

2011-02-28T01:20:00.002Z

Twitter #cuts map

2011-02-28T01:20:00.000Z

Protesters march through Birmingham

2011-02-27T17:48:00.000Z

Protesters angry at government cuts surprised police by turning out in huge numbers to march through Birmingham's city centre on Saturday.

Up to 2500 demonstrators gathered outside Birmingham Cathedral to hear organisers speak out against proposed cuts. The council's budget is to be slashed by £320 million in the next two years, in cuts that are thought will lead to 7000 council workers losing their jobs by 2015 and vital services being cut.

Trades union groups, socialist organisations and concerned members of the public marched past the Bullring shopping centre and along New Street in a wide column that took some 15 minutes to pass.

The protest passed peacefully, if noisily andf attracted a great deal of attention from Saturday shoppers, who were overwhelmingly sypathetic to protesters concerns.

Activists have called for a further gathering to blockade the council house on Tuesday, when City Councillors will meet to set the next budget.

More photographs are available on our Facebook group page.

£4.6 million in salaries for 47 Birmingham Council bosses

2011-02-24T13:04:00.000Z

The annual wage bill for 47 directors and assistant directors at cash-strapped Birmingham City Council has been revealed as £4.6 million.

Some of the council officers earn as much as Prime Minister David Cameron’s £142,500 salary.

Their huge pay levels are being revealed for the first time – a week after politicians announced plans to cull 2,500 staff to save £212 million in the coming year.

Read the entire story in the Birmingham Post.

Changes to "Birmingham Contract" concessions

2011-02-22T13:37:00.001Z

Tories and Liberal Democrats running Birmingham City Council have agreed to make major concessions in order to sweeten a cost-cutting plan that will sweep away unsocial hours payments and wage perks for 26,000 employees.

Major changes to working conditions, known as the Birmingham Contract, will not now be introduced until October and will be accompanied by an 18-month pay protection plan guaranteeing that no one will lose more than 10 per cent of their salary.

The climbdown was announced at a scrutiny committee meeting by cabinet member Alan Rudge, who was being grilled by councillors in a private session about the impact of the Birmingham Contract, which will save the council almost £10 million a year.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Black activists plan cuts strategy

2011-02-22T12:23:00.006Z

Today, I had the opportunity to talk with Maxie Hayles of Birmingham BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against Cuts) on the day of their latest meeting. Held at the African Caribbean Millennium Centre in Birmingham, it discussed the impact of cuts on black workers and communities in the region and agreed actions to campaign.

The organisation Right to Work provide an overview of what the campaign aims to achieve:

The campaign consists of a coalition of black public and voluntary sector workers, trade unionists, community organisations, service users and concerned individuals with an aim to create a critical mass of opposition to the intended Government cuts. The main objectives of the campaign are; to campaign in defence of jobs and services, highlight the disproportionate and adverse impact of the huge reduction of public spending on deprived communities in particular black communities, provide a campaigning platform to fight against cuts to jobs and services including on any adverse, disproportionate impact on black workers and communities and work in partnership and build alliances with others facing and fighting similar attacks.

I spoke to Maxie Hayles at Birmingham BARAC on the day of their meeting. She said:

The meeting had been well attended and displayed tremendous sense of unity and optimism. There was massive concern about the cuts and its effects on Black People and particularly women, pushing back the rights that women have gained over a number of years in relation to education and employment. The meeting concluded that there was a need to mobilise the black community in order to work strategically with the wider community to force the government to seek alternative routes and to avoid the draconian cuts to local and public services.
The government must adhere to equality legislation and policies and part of our campaign strategy is to challenge any failures of employers and service providers to comply with the Public Sector Duty on Race and carry out equality impact assessments prior to making any changes / cuts in order to identify and address any disproportionate impact on race or other equality grounds. African, Caribbean Asian and other minority ethnic communities constitute some of the poorest sections of British society and the cuts will have a devastating impact on them, whether it is for example through cuts to jobs which will impact on the lowest paid and lowest grades where black workers are disproportionately located or cuts to valuable services provided by the voluntary sector where large numbers of black people are based and funded through local or central government.

Birmingham BARAC will be holding another meeting in the near future and also will be supporting the national cuts march on the 26^th March 2011 in London.

£320m cuts will dismantle the structure of Birmingham City Council

2011-02-21T14:49:00.000Z

The swathe of cutbacks proposed by Birmingham City Council will see the most radical change in public services for more than 50 years, writes Public Affairs Correspondent Paul Dale.

To describe the £320 million Birmingham City Council must save from its budget over the next four years as a mere cuts package is a little like suggesting a heart and lung transplant is nothing but minor surgery.

What is being proposed is no less than the dismantling of local government as it has existed for decades – steamrollering through the most radical changes to public services since the welfare state came into existence 64 years ago.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Ikon Eastside to close in April due to budget cut

2011-02-21T09:42:00.000Z

A Birmingham art gallery is being forced to close in April after its funding was slashed.

Ikon Eastside, which relied on funding from Birmingham City Council and Arts Council West Midlands, has hosted work by world famous artists including Andy Warhol and Damian Ortega.

The exhibition space in Fazeley Street, Digbeth, which opened in 2005, was also one of the venues for the Flatpack film festival as well as the International Dance Festival and Supersonic.

Jonathan Watkins, Ikon director, said: “We are extremely saddened to be losing Ikon Eastside but our commitment to bringing internationally recognised art to the city is unwavering.

Read the entire story in the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham council leader Mike Whitby accused of taking pleasure over £320m cuts

2011-02-15T09:31:00.001Z

A row over Birmingham’s £320 million cuts programme descended into a bitter slanging match after the city council's Conservative leader was accused of taking pleasure from slashing public services and axing thousands of jobs.

The claim came from opposition Labour leader Sir Albert Bore, who said Coun Mike Whitby “had a smile on his face” when announcing details of the savings package at a press conference at the end of last week.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Citizens Advice Bureau offices in Birmingham to stay open after talks

2011-02-15T09:24:00.000Z

Citizens Advice Bureau offices across Birmingham are to stay open after a bitter row between the city council and bureau managers was finally resolved.

The five offices had been set to close - depriving residents of essential advice as spending cuts mean hundreds of public sector jobs are lost in the city.

But managers at the Birmingham Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) network and senior councillors managed to hammer out their differences at a crunch meeting.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham group which inspired Tories' Big Society sees funding cut

2011-02-15T09:16:00.000Z

The Birmingham group praised by David Cameron for inspiring his Big Society vision is facing a 30 per cent funding drop.

The Prime Minister said the drive to turn around Balsall Heath, which was once a crime and prostitution hotspot, was behind his Big Society initiative.

But St Paul’s Community DevelopmentTrust, which was set up in the 70s to improve education in the area, will see its budget from Birmingham City Council cut by almost a third this year.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Big Solihull rally against youth cuts attracts 1,000

2011-02-13T16:24:00.000Z

A 12-year-old from Prime Minister David Cameron's constituency spoke of his concerns over the threatened closure of youth services in his area as he joined a huge rally against proposed cuts in Solihull

Nicky Wishart was among around 1,000 people at the rally in Solihull, staged by Unite to launch a campaign against "catastrophic" cuts to youth services.

Unite warned that one in four youth services such as volunteering projects and youth clubs in England faced spending cuts of up to 30%.

Young people arrived from across the country for the rally , congregating at the Renewal Conference Centre in Solihull.

Read the entire story in the Birmingham Mail.

Joy in Sandwell over High Court victory on school cuts

2011-02-12T09:46:00.000Z

Sandwell Council was today celebrating winning its High Court case with the Government over the borough's multi-million pound schools modernisation programme.

Mr Justice Holman said Secretary of State Michael Gove's decision to scrap the £138 million project was "an abuse of power".

A jubilant Council Leader Cllr Darren Cooper said: "At the very least we have been vindicated for bringing the action. Now we have to wait to see whether the Government accepts it was too hasty in scrapping the scheme. We have just got to wait with fingers crossed."

Read the rest of the story on the Sandwell website.

National rally in Solihull today against drastic youth service cuts

2011-02-12T09:38:00.001Z

A major rally will launch a campaign by the country's biggest union against "catastrophic" cuts in youth services.

The event in Solihull, West Midlands, comes as Unite warned that one in four youth services in England faced spending cuts of up to 30%.

The union said some councils, such as Norfolk, Suffolk, Bucks and Manchester, planned to cut the services completely.

The Department for Education said it was up to each council to decide where to target spending on youth services.

A survey by Unite of more than 40 local councils suggested that youth services would be hit the hardest by reductions in government funding.

Read the entire story on the BBC website.

Birmingham binmen reject council offer - more strikes possible

2011-02-10T19:34:00.000Z

Birmingham could be set for another round of strike action by binmen after they overwhelmingly rejected the latest offer from the city council.

A meeting of 500 refuse collectors saw 95 percent angrily reject the complex working practices deal, thrashed out over the last month, raising the prospect of black bags piled high in the streets, just weeks after the last round of industrial action.

The four unions involved, GMB, Ucatt, Unite and Unison, have now asked for more talks but sources say that unless the council moves further industrial action is "unavoidable".

Read the full story at the Birmingham Post.

90 prominent Lib Dem Councillors criticize budget cuts

2011-02-10T07:15:00.000Z

More than 90 prominent Liberal Democrat councillors, including the leaders of 18 local authorities, have criticised the scale and pace of government cuts.

In a letter to the Times, they say cuts will have "an undoubted impact on all frontline council services, including care services to the vulnerable".

They also accuse ministers of "denigrating" councils in the media.

Lib Dem Communities Minister Andrew Stunell urged his party members not to "fall out" over "pointless debate".

The signatories, who include the leaders of Newcastle, Milton Keynes and Hull city councils, say they are facing the bulk of the cuts to their budgets in the coming financial year - giving them little time "to spread the cost of reorganisation and downsizing".

"Rather than assist the country's recovery by making savings to the public in a way that can protect local economies and the front line, the cuts are structured in such a way that they will do the opposite," they write.

Read the entire story at the BBC.

Council staff earning more than £58,000 to be named publicly

2011-02-07T11:31:00.000Z

As many as 15,000 council workers earning more than £58,000 a year are to be named under government plans to force local authorities to cut middle management waste, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Eric Pickles, the Local Government Secretary, is to order councils to list the staff and detail their responsibilities.

Many local authorities are threatening to increase charges or make cuts to front- line services because of the steep reduction in central government funding that comes into effect in April. The proposed cuts, including the closure of libraries, a squeeze on social care and a refusal to fill in pot holes, are proving politically damaging for the Coalition.

It is understood that Mr Pickles believes that councils should focus on “middle management waste” before scrapping front-line services. He hopes making salary details public will undermine claims by council chiefs that services must be cut because of budget pressures.

Read the entire article at The Daily Telegraph.

Fears bus services to be cut in Birmingham after £500,000 slashed from budget

2011-02-07T08:04:00.000Z

Public transport campaigners fear evening and weekend bus services in Birmingham could be hit after transport chiefs slashed £500,000 from funding for less popular routes.

Regional transport body Centro is cutting subsidies for threatened bus services from £8.6 million to £8.1 million.

Centro said it could avoid scrapping services by making operators more competitive through the bidding process for subsidised buses.

But transport campaigners have said they fear that spiralling costs for operators will put extra pressure on the reduced fund for next year and lead to routes being axed.

“Realistically, this is going to mean cuts to services which people rely on to get to night shifts or to the hospitals,” said Kevin Chapman, chairman of the West Midlands Campaign for Better Transport.

Read the full story in the Birmingham Post.

Refugee Council coping with staggering 62% budget cut

2011-02-02T15:28:00.000Z

The Refugee Council is to have its government funding cut by almost 62% with cuts to frontline services beginning "almost immediately" and fully implemented in three months' time.

The charity, which relies on the UK Border Agency (UKBA) for 78% of its £20.1m revenue, will have to lose around one third of its 300 staff and close two of its seven centres to meet the cuts of 61.7%.

"The speed and the size of the cuts make it impossible to adapt our services quickly enough to stop people falling through the gaps," said chief executive Donna Covey. "Our clients will either not receive the help they need to accurately make their asylum applications – which means they will be wrongly returned to murderous regimes – or they will be trapped in a limboland of delays, during which they will often be forced into destitution."

Read the entire story at guardian.co.uk

Help us map the Birmingham cuts

2011-01-30T11:23:00.005Z

For 3 1/2 months, we've been keeping track of the impact of budget cuts in Birmingham. We've done a major update on the map below which includes cuts to arts organisations, Citizens Advice Bureau offices and Connexions. But we still need your help.

Please take a moment to open the map full screen and then zoom in. You can click on any teardrop marker and get more information on eliminated jobs and services and where they're located. You can also scroll down the left hand side to see a full list.

If you see anything that's missing that you think we should add to the map, please email us by clicking here.

Once we have confirmed the information, the map will be updated. You can also view a larger version of the map and access the raw data we have used, by clicking on the Map The Cuts link at the top of the page, or clicking here.

View Birmingham Cuts 2010 in a larger map

Birmingham Council to save £300,000 by paying suppliers electronically

2011-01-25T11:47:00.001Z

This is a news release issued by Birmingham City Council, indicating it will stop paying suppliers by cheque in order to save money.

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Savings of at least £300,000 are forecast by Birmingham City Council – by simply stopping the payment of its bills to suppliers by cheque in favour of the widely-used BACS system.

At present the council issues in the region of 350,000 cheques annually but they cost roughly four times as much as BACS – the electronic method most well-known as the way in which salaries are paid directly to people’s bank accounts.

BACS payments are estimated by the council to be 85p cheaper per transaction than cheques and as a result the council will cease to make payments by cheque from the start of the next financial year in April.

This move will bring a saving of £300,000, but to ensure that the needs of the vulnerable are protected, the council has confirmed groups such as benefits claimants, foster carers, asylum seekers will continue to receive payment in the same way as they do now.

Cllr Randal Brew, Cabinet Member for Finance, “As has been widely reported, the council needs to make savings of £308million as its contribution towards the reduction of the national deficit – so we need to look at all ways in which we can reduce our operating costs.

“By embracing the BACS technology, that is proven to be reliable, simple, quick and most importantly secure, we will be able to reduce our operating costs significantly while at the same time offering a better service to our suppliers.

“Cheques do have a nostalgic place in many people’s hearts, but their continued use will waste taxpayer money and not help cashflow management for our suppliers in tough times – they are a tradition that we can definitely live without.”

ENDS

Notes to editors – the declining use of cheques

1. Cheque transaction volumes in the UK peaked as far back as 1990.

2. The move away from cheques was initially led by consumers as they adopted debit cards for payments in retailers and Direct Debits for the payment of regular bills.
3. Business use of cheques continued to rise through to 1997 but has fallen steadily since then.

4. The Payments Council initially proposed a managed decline of cheques in its 2007 public consultation on the National Payments Plan.

5. However having considered all the evidence the Payments Council Board has set a target end date of October 31, 2018, for the cheque clearings in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

6. The Payment Council’s vision for 2018 is that innovation in the payments market has delivered acceptable alternatives to cheques so that personal customers and business users have migrated away from cheques by choice, thereby enabling cost and efficiency benefits to be realised.

7. Nationally, there were 48 per cent fewer cheques issued in 2009 (approximately 1.25 million) than in 2002 (just under 2.5 million).

8. The volume of cheques issued by the City Council fell by 19 per cent when comparing September 2008 to September 2009.

9. As a means of payment cheques are inherently insecure, for the following reasons: they are easily lost or stolen, subject to beneficiary or value fraud and not a guaranteed method of payment.

10. Cheques are an inefficient method of transacting business. In particular they are costly to produce compared to other payment methods, have an associated administrative burden in additional to cheque production, delay dispatch of goods and services, lead to uncertainty on when payment will be credited and are unhelpful in cashflow management.

11. The main benefits of the BACS method of payment include:

Improved cash flow – with BACS recipients won’t have to wait for cheques to clear. Funds are ‘cleared’ on arrival at their bank – unlike cheques, funds paid by BACS Direct Credit can be used on the day they arrive.

Easier and saves times and effort – with BACS, as money is paid straight into their account, recipients no longer have to take or send cheques to your bank or building society.

Safer and more secure - unlike cash or cheques BACS Direct Credit payments cannot be lost, stolen or delayed in the post. Money arrives automatically into their bank or building society account.

More than 40 youth centres and projects might face closure due to budget cuts

2011-01-20T20:32:00.002Z

More than 40 youth centres and projects throughout Birmingham are at risk of closure under cutbacks being considered by the city council.

Youth centres will be boarded up, sports clubs closed, health services cut and activities to help rehabilitate young offenders cancelled as the council attempts to save £3 million from its youth service budget next year and a further £1 million up to 2014.

It currently spends about £6 million on the service.

Critics of the cuts fear that teenagers could be excluded from education, training and work opportunities and that the cuts could also lead to a rise in crime and anti-social behaviour on many city estates.

Now a protest campaign has been launched along with a Facebook group Save Birmingham Youth Services, backed so far by more than 1,400 people.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham University students say police used excessive force

2011-01-18T18:35:00.004Z

This is a blog post from a website published by students who held an occupation at the University of Birmingham yesterday, protesting about redundancies and budget cuts. They were physically removed by police last night and alleging the use of excessive force.

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Forced heavy handed eviction of University of Birmingham occupiers

Last night students determined to remain in occupation and create an area for free and constructive debate, where removed by excessive force by university security assist by the police.

I’m proud to say the student involved, remained peaceful in spite of personal injuries and very distressing scenes.

This report is compiled by testimonies of a UCU representative present and three students who are pressing charges of assault but, wish to remain unnamed for now.

You can read the students' full account on their blog here.

Related Links
BBC News >> Students Stage Birmingham University Sit In Protest
Birmingham Mail >> Students Protest At University of Birmingham Staff Cuts
BBC News >> Birmingham University Protest Ends In Clash

Eric Pickles is "delighted" by budget cuts in Birmingham; we tally up the impact

2011-01-14T19:15:00.000Z

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has told the House of Commons he is "delighted" that Birmingham is facing an 8.3% cut to its budget.

Under the circumstances, we thought it appropriate to dig into our website's archives to measure the impact of budget cuts in Birmingham so far.

£300 million cut to the City Council budget
loss of 7,116 full time jobs, totalling 37% of Birmingham Council work force
loss of 3,000 part-time Council jobs
Approximately 2200 police officers and staff to lose their jobs
630 West Midlands police officers forced into early retirement
17% cut to arts organisations with 11 groups losing their funding completely
Birmingham universities to lose approximately £100 million in funding
closure of some Connexions offices, 120 redundancies still on the table
funded care for only the most disabled adults
funded care for only children with complex needs
£5.3 million cut to library, sports and community services
498 jobs expected to be lost at NHS West Midlands
326 jobs lost at Advantage West Midlands
206 jobs lost at General Teaching Council
180 jobs lost at Government Office for the West Midlands
123 jobs lost at Museums Libraries and Archives Council
47 jobs lost at Business Link West Midlands

This is a comprehensive list of cuts. Not all of them stem from the 8.3 % reduction in City Council's budget.

To read the full story on the remarks by Eric Pickles, check out the Birmingham Post website.

Birmingham Council says refuse worker strikes to be suspended, no union confirmation

2011-01-12T18:13:00.000Z

The text of a news release issued at 17:56 tonight from Birmingham City Council indicating the upcoming half-day strikes by refuse workers will be suspended, pending agreement by membership.
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A proposed agreement has today been reached between Birmingham City Council and the Trades Unions which will see the suspension of the industrial action currently affecting the city’s refuse collection services.

Subject to agreement by union membership, this means the half-day strikes which were due to take place tomorrow (Thursday 13th) and Friday (14th January) will now not take place.

The announcement follows two days of intensive talks between the two parties hosted by the City Council.

Cllr Alan Rudge, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Human Resources, said: “Following two days of very constructive talks I am delighted that we have been able to reach agreement which will see the action suspended and provide an opportunity for us to continue holding further discussions with a view to reaching a permanent solution.

“I appreciate that management and the Trades Unions have worked very hard and shown much goodwill in coming to this agreement, and on behalf of one million citizens of the city wish to offer all involved my thanks.”

Cllr Timothy Huxtable, Cabinet Member for Transportation and Regeneration, said: “With the action suspended our number one priority remains clearing any backlog and returning the service and city to normal as soon as possible.

“I would like to thank the people of Birmingham for their efforts in helping us to get through this difficult situation, and apologise for the inconvenience it has caused.”

Both the regular and casual workforces will continue to be deployed to help catch up with outstanding waste and recycling collections.

Birmingham bin dispute may last weeks as talks break down

2011-01-07T09:53:00.000Z

Birmingham faces strike action by refuse workers through the rest of the winter after the relationship between the trade unions and council bosses sank to a new low.

The GMB union said it was preparing for a long-running battle similar to a dispute between its members and the council in Leeds in 2009 – which lasted for 11 weeks.

And Unite said that the relationship between refuse workers and the local authority had “completely broken down” after the council banned officials from taking time off work for union duties.

Unite official Steve Foster said officials had been forced to withdraw from talks with council managers.

With rubbish already piling up in city streets, four trade unions have announced plans to walk out for half a day on both January 13 and 14 as part of a long-running dispute over pay cuts.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Eric Pickles branded 'a clown' by Barnsley council boss

2011-01-07T08:58:00.000Z

Eric Pickles has been called "a clown" by the boss of a South Yorkshire council.

Barnsley chief executive Phil Coppard criticised the Communities Secretary for suggesting budget cuts would not have an impact on well-run councils.

Mr Coppard's local authority must trim its budget by £26m this year - and save £45m over the next four years.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said cuts were "tough but fair".

Mr Coppard, who received an OBE in 2009 for services to local government, told BBC Radio Sheffield: "You've got this clown of a secretary of state saying that in well-run councils, the public won't notice any difference, I mean what planet is this guy on?

"Public servants aren't supposed to be angry, but you look at this and it's unfair.

Read the entire story at the BBC website.

Connexions strike postponed after last ditch talks

2011-01-06T15:09:00.000Z

A half day strike by 180 Connexions workers has been called off due to progress in talks with Birmingham City Council.

UNISON says it agreed to suspend the walk out after Council agreed to lift the immediate threat of compulsory redundancies pending further negotiations over the next 28 days.

UNISON made the decision after last minute talks with management and Councillor Les Lawrence.
Roger McKenzie, UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary described the talks as constructive.

"As we all know, in other areas the Council have been less than constructive to say the least. Today just shows the progress that can be made when the Council sits down and talk to us with an open mind," McKenzie said in a statement.

Connexions provides guidance, support and personal development services for young people aged 13 - 19, with aid extended to the age of 25 for those with a disability.

A £13 million cut to the Children Young People and Families budget announced in July means 120 Connexions workers may lose their jobs. Offices have already closed in Erdington and Handsworth and workers are awaiting word on whether offices will also close at Broad Street, Kings Heath and Northfield.

Tony Rabaiotti, UNISON's head of local government said he's hopeful compulsory redundancies can be avoided altogether.

"Our stewards and our convenor in Connexions made it clear right from last August when we first heard of this 26% cut in the budget that we weren't going to roll over. Since that time we have inched further and further towards an agreement closer and closer to an agreement and I think with the input of Councillor Lawrence ...we finally managed to see a situation whereby we can get back round the negotiating table," Rabaiotti said.

Rabaiotti said if the talks go "belly up" the union can reinstate the strike action but only as a last resort.

Salma Yaqoob talks to Birmingham Budget Cuts

2011-01-03T12:25:00.000Z

Sparkbrook Councillor and Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob spoke to us just before Christmas about the budget cuts both locally and nationally as well as various other matters surrounding this issue.
The video is split into three parts of similar lengths.

For more information about Salma, you can visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Vince Cable insists he has no intention of bringing down government

2010-12-21T15:15:00.000Z

Business Secretary Vince Cable says he is "embarrassed" after being recorded suggesting he could walk out of the coalition.

He could "bring the government down" if pushed and that being in coalition was like "fighting a war", he told undercover Daily Telegraph reporters.

Labour said the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition was "paralysed".

In a statement later, Mr Cable said he regretted the comments and had no intention of leaving government.

The Telegraph reported that he had been recorded telling its reporters - who were posing as his constituents - that he had been involved in a "big argument" over dealing with the banks.

Read the full story at the BBC website.

Birmingham tax protestors disrupt Christmas shopping

2010-12-18T21:53:00.000Z

They may have lost the battle against higher tuition fees but Birmingham students are not giving up the fight.

A dozen protestors staged demonstrations in Birmingham City Centre today, disrupting business at HSBC, Vodafone and Topshop, where they were physically removed by Bullring security. They allege that all three companies are contributing to the country's economic problems by not paying their fair share of taxes.

The protest was part of a wider action organized by UKuncut, which says demonstrations were held in 52 locations across the country.

Read the national story at the BBC website.

See video of the Birmingham protest below.

Cuts are already a way of life for Birmingham city council

2010-12-17T18:33:00.000Z

There's a consultation taking place, but is it already too late to ensure the city's most vulnerable are protected?
Read the full story in The Guardian.

Ikon Eastside gallery fears closure after arts funding cuts

2010-12-17T08:35:00.000Z

A pioneering Birmingham art gallery is facing closure as it becomes one of the first casualties of city council funding cuts.

Ikon Eastside in Digbeth is to have its £200,000-a-year funding pulled completely from April while its city centre sister venue Ikon Gallery will see its contributions reduced by 15 per cent.

The Eastside gallery, in Fazeley Street, has formed an important part of the regeneration of the urban area as a creative hub since it opened in 2006.

Representatives from the We Are Eastside consortium are meeting to discuss the closure and the sustainability of the independent cultural sector in the city.

The council revealed plans to reduce arts funding from just over £12 million a year to £10.2 million a year for the next three years at a meeting on Monday.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

600 West Midlands police officers forced to retire to save money

2010-12-16T21:07:00.000Z

More than 600 police officers in the West Midlands are being made to retire over the next three years because their force needs to save £78 million.

West Midlands Police Authority said up to 630 officers would be affected by its decision to implement regulation A19, which allows officers to be forced into retirement after 30 years' service.

Enforcing the regulation from the end of March next year will see 273 officers retire. The force anticipates at least another 350 officers retiring in the following two years.

In a statement, authority chairman Bishop Derek Webley said: "This was a very difficult decision, and one we took with great reluctance.

Read the entire story at the Birmingham Post.

Birmingham arts groups cut by 17%

2010-12-13T21:01:00.001Z

The axe has fallen on Birmingham arts organisations as City Council announces a 17% cut in funding for 2011/2012.

All major arts groups will receive significantly less money and eleven smaller organisations will be cut off altogether.

Cabinet today approved grants totally £7.8 million, which is a reduction of 17% from the 2010/2011 spending level of £9.4 million.

The cuts are not across the board and vary for each organisation, as follows:

Performances Birmingham 23%
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra 9%
Birmingham Royal Ballet 18%
The Rep 18%
Drum 9%
Birmingham Opera Company 15%
Ikon 15%
Dancexchange 15%
Ex Cathedra 15%
Sampad 9%

Eleven smaller arts organisations have had their funding eliminated, including Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Craftspace, Birmingham Jazz, Big Brum, Women & Theatre, Sound it Out, ACE Dance, Tindal Street Press, Stan’s Cafe, Fierce and RBSA.

Click below to see the current level of support for the arts groups that will be cut off:

In a news release, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture, Martin Mullaney says that he is “passionate about the arts scene in Birmingham” and notes that Birmingham Council’s support for the arts is double the commitment of Manchester.

“Now, none of us are exactly jumping for joy at the news but times are hard and everyone knows the current national economic situation. It would be naïve to think the budget cuts are not going to impact on the cultural sector here in Birmingham,” says Mullaney.

Mullaney says he met with arts groups prior to today’s announcement to try and ensure that no organisations collapse as a result.

He notes that many groups also receive funding from the Arts Council, other grants and ticket sales, and he says hopefully members of the public will not notice any difference.

In order to cushion the blow for smaller arts groups that are being cut off, Council is giving each group six months of transition funding ranging from £36,000 for Birmingham Contemporary Music Group to £5,000 for RBSA.

A Birmingham perspective on the London protest

2010-12-11T08:42:00.000Z

Birmingham students were among more than 20,000 protestors who marched on Parliament on Thursday to show their anger over skyrocketing tuition fees.

For the latest news from London as accusations fly about who is responsible for the violence, check out The Guardian's website.

Click below to see our coverage of Birmingham students at the demo.

Birmingham academics and university staff condemn student fee increases

2010-12-10T20:21:00.000Z

This letter was published in The Birmingham Post today. The letters by the names of some signatories' indicate the position they hold - L for lecturer and SL for senior lecturer.

Dear Editor, Students across the city have been leading energetic protests against plans to raise university fees and to cut provision and support. We are writing to add our voices to these protests.

The coalition Government has expressed its agreement with the recommendations of the Browne Review of university funding, with the minor amendment that universities will be able to charge no more than £9,000 per year for undergraduate courses.

The the entire post in the Birmingham Post NewsBlog.