Barry: It’s all down to the men in dark suits

Sep 16 2009 by Barry Gibson

AS YOU will have seen on the front of today’s paper, there are some very difficult times ahead for the thousands of people who work for Kirklees Council.

The economic crisis is going to take a heavy toll on staff, and we should all hope that, no matter what else happens, front-line services are not affected by any cuts that are in the pipeline.

It’s really easy to be negative about Kirklees - and sometimes they deserve the harsh criticism that comes their way.

But we should never forget that the vast majority of council workers do their jobs well in sometimes difficult conditions. The dinner ladies, librarians, gardeners, bin men, social workers and home helps are the backbone of Kirklees.

Their work makes our lives better, easier, more civilised. Yes, they sometimes get things wrong. But these are good people, doing good worthwhile things on our behalf.

And now the spectre of redundancy stalks the council. In this time of recession, belts must be tightened, we are told.

However, it’s unfair that public sector workers are the ones to feel the pinch. They are the innocent parties in this.

The guilty are in the City of London, many of them still picking up their fat salaries and bonuses.

We should never forget what they’ve done to the people of this country.

One day the economy will recover. But when it does, let’s not go back to assuming that the men in pin-striped suits know what’s best.

It’s their fault that thousands of Kirklees Council workers are today facing an uncertain future.