Unison chief Paul Holmes inspired by Muhammed Ali in Kirklees Council job cuts fight

UNION chiefs heralded victory in “round one” of their battle to save public services after calling off a threatened strike.

A mass demonstration had been scheduled for this weekend ahead of industrial action by public sector workers in a row over Kirklees Council job cuts.

But on Friday Unison called off the walk-out after negotiating a deal with council bosses.

Union organisers still took the opportunity to gather in St George’s Square on Saturday to announce the deal.

They told a gathering of about 30 people the struggle to protect services would continue.

Kirklees Unison branch secretary Paul Holmes compared the battle to the famous Rumble in the Jungle world heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974.

He said: “I think workers in Kirklees have shown over this period that they are prepared to defend each other and services in Kirklees.

“But this is the end of round one and I say to anyone that’s coming for us what Muhammad Ali said to George Foreman at the end of round five: ‘George, if that’s all you’ve got, you’re in big trouble.’”

Thousands of binmen, dinner ladies, home carers and other council staff had been set for a five-day strike later this month over plans to cut the authority’s workforce.

The council must slash £80m from its budget in the next four years. Its non-school workforce will fall from 11,200 to 9,500. More than 500 workers have already taken voluntary redundancy.

But Mr Holmes said Unison cancelled the strike after securing guarantees the council would not issue compulsory redundancy notices before April, cut redundancy pay or take account of sickness records when deciding who would be made redundant.

Ian Brooke, from the Save our Services movement, said: “The fact we have come to a deal and this strike has been called off means the council is on the back foot and we are on the offensive.

“Nevertheless, the issue of compulsory redundancies will come up again at some point in the future and, as other people have said, this is only round one.”

Paul Cooney, Unison branch secretary at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, said the NHS was under threat.

He said: “We have got to stand together, we have got to fight,” he said. “We have got to convince politicians of all parties – but particularly the Labour Party – that they cannot stand idly by and allow the destruction of this great, great service.”