Council Critic Is so Predictable ; Have Your Say

Summary

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LESLEY Walton is nothing if not predictable in the repeated claims by her and her Labour colleagues that Swansea Council is badly run and has a huge deficit (Have Your Say, December 14). Nothing is further from the truth. Not only has the council contained its spending within its budget year in year out, but since 2004 the Lib Dem-led administration has kept the average yearly council tax rise to 4.02 per cent. That compares favourably to 8.66 per cent under Labour.

I do not agree with all the proposed changes to the terms and conditions of the council's staff, but I recognise that some movement is necessary if we are to minimise job losses, and unlike Ms Walton I see that this is a negotiation, not a fait accompli. A number of the changes are necessary to ensure the council does not breach equality laws, others are commonsense. Why, for example, should the council pay telephone allowances in some cases when they also issue mobile phones? The council will work with trade unions towards an acceptable compromise.

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Council Critic Is so Predictable ; Have Your Say

The final point is that thi...

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