Strike called off as library merger plans scrapped
INDUSTRIAL action threatened by library staff across the North West has been put on hold after plans to amalgamate libraries in the region were scrapped.
The news followed a meeting of the Local Authority National Council during which CEO’s of the county councils involved took the decision to scrap merger plans.
In a statement Impact said: “The risk of industrial action in libraries in 13 local authority areas has reduced after local authority managers effectively dropped plans to amalgamate library services in 12 counties.
“Impact hails the decision as the best piece of library news for communities and workers in the affected counties since the economic crash.”
Impact says it will await written confirmation of the decision, which includes a commitment to fill vacant county librarian posts, before officially deferring its industrial action.
But the union’s national secretary Peter Nolan said: “The risk of industrial action in our library services has now reduced.”
The local Government Management Agency which represents county council management in discussions with unions said that the filling of vacant county librarian posts can now be considered.
“It said there was scope for substantial cooperation between library authorities, and committed to writing to the union on the matter within two weeks.
Mr. Nolan said: “Our campaign won overwhelming support from the communities involved and their public representatives, for which we are grateful.
“This comes in the wake of a decision by library staff to take industrial action. “While we will await the fine detail of the management proposals, the risk of industrial action in our library services has now reduced,” he added.