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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
BIRMINGHAM UNISON CONNEXIONS TO STRIKE ON 6th APRIL
Birmingahm UNISON Connexions Stewards today announced to that they will be holding industrial action on 6th 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?
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".
To see the latest on what's happening in London, check out our live twitter feed where we're aggregating tweets from the protest.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.