Campaign news

The Floods and the Tories

17th February 2014

The Floods and the Tories

A report from the GMB

David Cameron was asked 3 times by Miliband at Prime Minister’s Questions if he would now reverse the job cuts at the Agency and 3 times he ducked the question. You can conclude clearly his intentions, but it is getting increasingly more difficult to justify and defend such a position and we will continue applying the pressure and calling for a reversal.

Then there is the political storm over Pickles attacking the Environment Agency (EA), then the Police advising the withdrawal of EA staff from Wraysbury. Here is the statement from EA press department : “Some of our staff faced verbal abuse whilst working in Wraysbury on Monday. For a short while, we temporarily withdrew staff on the advice of the police. Our staff were back in Wraysbury yesterday and again today, working alongside members of the community and colleagues from other agencies as part of the continuing effort to deal with this exceptional period of weather and flooding.”

Justin Bowden, GMB National Officer for the Environment Agency (EA) said, “This report of hostility from the residents on the Thames is a direct result of the irresponsible attack by Eric Pickles and others on the EA. His incitement has led to the very people on the frontline who are actually helping to alleviate the situation bearing the brunt of people’s frustrations.

For more than seven weeks since Christmas the Environment Agency’s staff have been run ragged helping and supporting the victims of flooding. GMB members have been working double and triple shifts around the clock to protect and assist.

It is noted by these staff that the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to say the proposed cut of another 1,700 jobs at the EA will be reversed.

The facts on budget cuts are stubborn things. In 2009-10 total grants to the Environment Agency were £846.7m. For 2010-11 there were cut to £799.6m, for 2011-12 they were cut to £749.5m, in 2012-13 there were further cuts to £723m. There was a further cut of £14m for this year. This is a reduction of 16% and during this period inflation has increased by 11%. In real terms the grant has been cut by more than a quarter. That is before the latest 10% hack at the budget for 2014- 15 announced by Osborne last summer.

The government must immediately reverse the ludicrous cut of 1,700 EA jobs, followed by an independent inquiry into what are the realistic funding levels necessary to ensure the EA has both the capital budget to protect the country from flooding and drought and a big enough revenue budget to maintain, service and run these vital defences.”

The government has issued the following statement: a (Department for Local Government and Communities) Ministerial spokeswoman said, “The flooding will be extremely stressful for all involved, but there is never an excuse for verbal abuse. Ministers have publicly praised the hard work of the on the ground Environment Agency staff in challenging times.”

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