Rally at North Lanarkshire Council: Videos - & STV report: 'Grim reapers' in protest at £73m cuts

6 Dec 2012

Great speeches today at the rally in Motherwell against £73m worth of cuts being proposed by North Lanarkshire Council.

You can watch speeches here by UNISON's North Lanarkshire Branch Secretary John Mooney, UNISON's Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby, Marie Quigley, Chair of North Lanarkshire UNISON, and John Milligan, Secretary of North Lanarkshire Trades Council.

Three 'grim reapers' were also in attendance and local community campaign groups also supported the demonstration. STV reported today:

'Grim reapers' in protest at £73m cuts by North Lanarkshire Council

More than 100 protesters have gathered in North Lanarkshire to protest at planned council cuts.

Trade union members from Unison and Unite were joined by other supporters outside North Lanarkshire

Council’s headquarters in Motherwell to show their anger at planned cuts of at least £73m.

Some members of Unison dressed as the grim reaper to highlight their cause.

Protesters gathered at lunch time and heard a number of speeches from union officials, including one from Mike Kirby, the Scottish Secretary of Unison.

After the protest, he said: “I think, in such appalling weather, this was an illustration of the determination of trade union members in North Lanarkshire Council, and supporters from the local community who understand what a devastating impact of these cuts could make.

“Hopefully, we can work with you (the council) but if you move towards compulsory redundancy then we will look at balloting for industrial action.

“This determination we have seen today has been reflected at communities across Scotland. As the councils focus on budgets for next year, people are saying we have had enough.”

One of the groups who offered support to the union was the Save Abronhill High School group, who are fighting to save the Cumbernauld school made famous by the movie Gregory’s Girl.

The proposed closure of the school, with pupils joining those at Cumbernauld High ahead of a new school being built, is one cut being considered by councillors in an effort to save more than £1m a year.

Read the full STV report here


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