News / Politics
Bristol library staff to strike over hours
Library staff in Bristol are planning to strike following the closure of Eastville Library and the reduction of opening hours at other libraries around the city.
Mayor George Ferguson ordered a review early last year looking into the possible closure of seven libraries to save money.
The review recommended that just Eastville should close, while six others should remain open on reduced hours – with some opening on Saturdays too.
Library assistants voted in favour of taking strike action through their union, Unison.
The union claims that the assistants were not consulted about the closures and do not want to work fewer hours over more days of the week.
“Library workers want to see the service flourish but this can’t happen if their jobs are impossible to manage,” said Judy Wilson, Unison regional organiser.
The city council said it has spent ten weeks in staff consultations, working with staff in teams and on a one-to-one basis to try and ensure that as many people as possible were allocated one of their preferred working patterns.
“We have actively sought to protect jobs and prioritise the preferences of permanent staff within the workforce,” a spokesperson said.
They added: “We have one of the highest number of libraries per head in the country, and because of public feedback we took the decision not to close libraries when many other councils are closing theirs.”
The council also said the “vast majority” of the 97 library assistants have accepted their new roles and started working to the new arrangements on Monday this week.
The Green Party has called for the council and library staff to work more closely to resolve the dispute.
Ani Stafford-Townsend, leader of the Green Councillors, said: “We have sympathy with library assistants and support their right to strike. Staff have had to deal with changes to their shift patterns as a result of cuts imposed by central government. Greens are keen to listen to ideas from the Union on how the dispute can be resolved in light of the results from the public consultation.”
Read more: New lease of life for Eastville Library
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