CENTRAL OXFORDSHIRE Inside Opinions split over shopping this week: centre plans p9 Thursday, November 7 - Wednesday, November 13, 2013
FFRREE EE IN INSSIIDE
Make your next move
www.oxfordpropertyw eekly.co.uk Established 1988 Issue No.
Find us on Twitter @OxfordGuardian Like us on www.facebook.com/OxfordshireGuardian
1,239
Thursday, November 7 - Wednesday, Novem ber 13,
2013
FREE Please take a copy
Advertising/Newsdesk: 01235 511700
www.oxfordshireguardian.co.uk
WE’RE VERY ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED Union’s words as council cuts threaten children’s services
Firework safety campaign winners
See page 5
ONE of the country’s biggest unions is warning Oxfordshire County Council that it faces strike action over plans to axe jobs and an cut services for vulnerable children, ch young people and families. familie Unite members working in the county council’s Early Intervention Service (EIS) are set to begin a consultative ballot for industrial action as the potential loss of 700 jobs looms large. Four out of the county’s seven early intervention hubs are set to shut along with six satellite hubs and 37 children centres. However, the county council say that no fi nal decisions have been made. Unite is now urging the council to reconsider its plans as a matter of urgency and warns that if proposals are not rethought, industrial action could be on the cards. David Ricketts, Unite branch secretary, said: “Members are very angry and frustrated that having only just set up the Early Intervention Services in September 2011, it is about to be dismantled.
Find us on Twitter @OxfordGuardian
By Jack Johnson jack@taylornewspapers.co.uk
“Hundreds of families and young people face losing vital support from a highly skilled and dedicated workforce in another cost slashing exercise. “The people of Oxfordshire need to take a stand against this attack on its children and young people. “It can’t be right that the county’s most vulnerable people and families are once again bearing the brunt of council cuts.” Unite Regional Officer Chris Gray added: “We are still at the proposal stage, but we need to send a clear message to the council that the cuts in services and the impact this will have on our members and the wider community is not acceptable. “It is very interesting that on one hand, Witney MP David Cameron supports children services, but on the other hand his government forces councils to consider such cuts. “Our members have been very clear that they want to be balloted for industrial action. In the meantime we hope the council will reconsider and we will continue to lobby to this end.” • Continued on page 3