Whichever government we get after the General Election we know that to pay for the bankers we will have a huge contraction of the public sector. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are under threat. It will be the next dip in the recession within 12 months. If the choice is cut jobs or cut hours my vote goes for hours. To have potentially thousands of breadwinners becoming unemployed is unacceptable. The question for Kirklees Councillors will they take the 'we are a service not an employer approach' (yes someone has said that) and put thousands of families on the dole OR can we find another way. A 35 hour week would save the Council millions yet preserve jobs. It would also drive efficiencies in the way Kirklees operates.
Is it possible, politically, to acheive a 35 hour week? We'll see. If I manage that I may try the more difficult problem of getting the other Party groups to abandon the £2000/year party groups hospitality allowance. Stop free beer for Councillors now that would be an achievement.
