Trade union chiefs challenged councillors to walk out of the chamber and refuse to set a balanced budget in protest against the savage cuts faced by West Dunbartonshire Council.
Members arriving at Church Street were greeted by a well-attended and vocal protest organised by the local Joint Trade Unions, with attendees pleading for cuts to be avoided.
Only the Community Party’s Jim Bollan joined protesters prior to last Wednesday’s meeting, during which all three local trade union leaders urged members to walk out of council chambers and refuse to set a balanced budget.
Addressing members, the GMB’s David Scott said: “We believe that the cuts and management adjustments are not palatable for the community and for the employees in this council.
“Employees in this council have given everything and now they are on their knees.
“There’s a lot of in-poverty work in West Dunbartonshire Council. The fact lower paid council workers are having to go to foodbanks to support their families is not acceptable in 2023.
“More cuts will make it worse. More people will be put onto the dole. We need to stand up. We cannot keep going this way.”
David Smith of Unison added: “We appreciate that councillors have a difficult job to do, however, that’s not the JTU’s view.
“In the 10 years pre-Covid our local authority, between cuts and management adjustments, has been cut to the tune of tens of millions of pounds.
“Employees cannot work any harder or smarter. They can’t work any more efficiently and that is not the answer.
“A culture of panic, fear and alarm has developed in our workforce around budget setting time.
“For too long councillors and chief officers have been taking salaries for steering the ship. They have implemented Tory Westminster and Scottish Government cuts in our local authority.
“We are fed up with that.
“Against the backdrop of the world we live in, where we’re told to stand for one cause after another, there has never been a more significant time for the local authority to do something bold and stand with their community.
“Now is the time for real change."
And Unite’s Margaret Wood challenged councillors to walk out and stand with protesters in opposing the brutal spending cuts faced by the local authority.
She said: “Not one councillor in this chamber stood on an austerity ticket.
“Not one councillor told the community in the hustings that they would implement Tory austerity and cuts. Numerous councillors said they would fight for their communities.
“Fight harder. And do more.
“We don’t need to look far for the lessons. Glasgow Labour recently walked out of their budget meeting, refusing to implement Tory and Scottish Government cuts.
“Anas Sarwar proudly boasted about that in the media. Why has that not happened here today?
“We ask councillors to stand with us. We request that every local councillor follows us outside. That you stand in solidarity with the community who elected you. And that you refuse to set a cuts budget.
“Show our electorate you are with us. Fortune favours the brave.”
Responding to the trade union leaders, Labour’s David McBride said that refusing to set a budget would see Audit Scotland brought in to balance the books, with decisions taken by unelected and unaccountable external officials.
All 22 members of the local authority chose to remain in the chamber despite the calls.
