Croydon Council has always been blessed with fantastic staff. Many live locally and are 100% committed to serving our Town. Since March we have all seen the amazing way in which many officers have risen to the challenge of working in a very different way and ensuring that our most vulnerable residents have been supported through the coronavirus pandemic.
Many have taken on new and additional duties and many have worked extended hours to make sure that residents have been given any extra help they have needed.
Whilst we all knew that the council finances were in a mess (and as opposition councillors we have been raising our serious concerns over the past two years or so,) until this Autumn, most of us didn't know quite how dire they really were. And that includes the staff here in Croydon. They have been truly shocked at the sheer scale of the problem and are understandably bitterly upset and angry that they may have to pay the huge price of losing their jobs.
Many are now facing Christmas not knowing for how much longer they will have their job for. I spoke to a lady in Dunley Drive, New Addington recently. She told me she is terrified of losing the job she loves at the Council and it wasn't just the wind that brought tears to her eyes.
It all feels so dreadfully unfair that it appears that it has taken just a handful of people (and a compliant Cabinet) to get us to a position where the council is having to beg the Government to lend them £150m just to keep going. And loyal hard working staff, who have done nothing wrong, will lose their jobs.
I do hope that those responsible will in due course be answerable for the disgrace and utter financial havoc that they have brought to our Town.
In the meantime, I'm pleased that by lodging our Motion to cut our allowances, that we have pushed the Labour Group to bring forward the reductions which they have been mulling over for several months. It is vital that financial decisions right across the board are made quickly at the moment. The luxury of putting off tough decisions has gone, and I hope that the Labour Group will join us in asking that the reduction in their SRA's is effective from 1st January. All savings are important. It's the right thing to do.
I support the Cross-party Motion Madam Mayor and in view of the impending festive season - whilst current circumstances make it difficult in a number of ways I do wish everyone in our Town a peaceful and healthy Christmas and New Year.
