PARKING CHARGES HIKED IN CITY BUDGET
CHARGES for parking and nurseries are to rise in Glasgow as the SNP looks to raise extra cash to balance the budget.
Parking charges will be introduced on a Sunday and costs will rise by 30 per cent.
The council will also almost double nursery charges as part of moves to raise millions.
TPolitical Correspondent he SNP has moved to bring an end to the dispute over temporary cleansing jobs in Glasgow.
In the council budget it was announced the contracts would be extended as the unions asked.
Union leaders had threatened strike action over the workers whose contracts were due to run out at the end of March.
City Treasurer Allan Gow, however, said not only would the environmental street team they employed continue after the March expiry date but the temporary posts would be replaced by 150 permanent jobs.
The issue has been subject of a prebudget campaign by GMB union who protested outside the City Chambers.
Mr Gow said the union campaign was based on a “fictional” suggestion of cuts and said it was “unhelpful”.
However, he added: “I will agree to the union request to extend the temporary street team.”
He said the council would invest £3.6m in 150 new permanent jobs.
The SNP said it was working to resolve long standing workplace issues at the council.
Council leader Susan Aitken said there are too many temporary contracts in the council and the SNP was starting to deal with it. She said: “By creating 150 new permanent front line jobs in Land and Environmental Services, we are adding capacity to our core services and investing in cleaner vibrant neighbourhoods”
Union members protested outside the city chambers ahead of the meeting, calling for the jobs to be saved.
Labour’s proposals suggested maintaining the street team for another year costed at £4.8m.
Feargal Dalton, City Workplace convenor, said: “We asked LES how many permanent staff were needed and they said 150. We in the SNP see your 120 and raise it to 150. And not temporary, but permanent jobs.”
Labour Councillor Paul Carey said the SNP had “backflipped” under pressure from the union.
Rhea Wolfson, GMB Regional Organiser said: “We will await the detail on the timescales and delivery for the appointment process of the 150 permanent posts but the most important thing today is our members may have a future and the most important thing for Glasgow is it the service has not been cut.
“We will push to ensure these permanent posts are offered in the first instance to temporary workers.” PARKING charges across Glasgow are to increase as the council looks to rake in almost £2m a year extra income.
Charges for on street parking in the city centre zone and the zones outside will be raised and residents will be charged extra for a parking permit outside their home.
Free on-street parking on a Sunday will be scrapped to bring in an extra £400,000.
Parking attendants already work on a Sunday and there will no no extra staffing costs.
City Treasurer Allan Gow revealed the charges in his budget, which he presented to the council yesterday.
It means parking in the city centre will go up from £3 and hour to £4, a rise of one third.
For the streets outside the city centre where parking controls are in place, prices will also go up.
The cost just now is £3.20 for a three-hour period, which will rise by 25% to £4 for three hours
Residents who live in those streets, and who have a parking permit, will see it jacked up by £35 a year
Other charges that are increasing include nursery charges.
The budget document
shows a rise in early years charges to £4 per hour from August this year and again to £5 per hour the following year.
The move is expected to bring in £1.25m a year.
Labour criticised the plan to increase nursery charges stating it was hitting young families.
Group leader Frank McAveety said: “The SNP is doubling charges for accessing nursery provision and twice the rate of inflation for burials and cremations.
“There has been little discussion with education services about the nursery charge. It’s a good hourly rate just now but within a year it will double to £5 an hour.
“You can’t one the one hand say you are protecting the most vulnerable, then charge more for nursery provision.”
Mr McAveety criticised the Greens for voting against Labour’s plans, which would have included looking at a congestion charge.
He said: “Labour’s proposals were greener than the Greens, more progressive than the SNP and more business friendly than the Tories.”