PCS: Staff appeal to ‘equality champions’ to stop the cuts – open the letter
On the day Trevor Phillips delivers a speech to the Policy Exchange, staff in the Equality and Human Rights Commission write an open letter to the body’s commissioners:
“As EHRC staff, we are deeply concerned that the government’s planned budget cut, which represents a 70% cut to the original budget agreed by parliament, will irrevocably damage the commission’s role as an authoritative and visible body able to challenge inequality and deliver a seamless public service to the people of Britain.
“We understand from our trade union that the board of commissioners will be asked to approve a progressive reduction in staff to 200 by 2012.
“This represents a cut of 66% to the number of staff working at the Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission when they were merged in 2007.
“Given the severity of these cuts, which have no comparison in the public sector, we can only conclude that the government is effectively seeking to close the body entrusted by parliament to protect and promote equality and human rights in the UK.
“We are appealing to you not to make this decision at the next board meeting, and are asking you as equality champions to oppose publicly this attack on equality and human rights by the government, which will be to the detriment of equal rights and human rights for years to come.”
Media release, Friday 4 February: ‘Equality body under attack when services most needed’ www.pcs.org.uk
ENDS
Notes
– For information and interview requests contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216
– The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies, and in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich
– Follow PCS on Twitter
– The full list of EHRC commissioners is at www.equalityhumanrights.com
-01.png){kind=spacer}