Unions warn huge Civil Service cuts could lead to ‘chaos’

The Government faces opposition from unions over its plans for huge cuts to the Civil Service amid warnings it could lead to “chaos”.

Unions representing civil servants reacted angrily to confirmation that the Civil Service will be told to cut more than £2 billion a year from its budget by the end of the decade as part of the Government’s spending review.

The leader of the biggest civil service union said that after years of underfunding by the previous Conservative governments, any cuts will hit frontline services.

Backlogs

Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Fran Heathcote said the public was already facing long waits on the phone if they try to make tax payments, jobseekers are rushed through the system in minutes because there are not enough staff to see them, and victims of crime were waiting until 2027 to have their cases heard in the courts.

There is also a huge backlog in the asylum system which is leading to additional hotel costs, she said, adding: “The impact of making cuts will not only disadvantage our members but the public we serve and the services they rely on.

‘We’ve heard this before under Gordon Brown when cuts were made to backroom staff and consequences of that was chaos.

‘If the last government taught us anything it’s that you can’t cut your way to growth.

‘Arbitrary figure’

She continued: “We’re happy to engage with the Government over many issues but if they don’t talk to us about what is an arbitrary figure for cuts plucked out of the air in order to make it sound like an efficiency they will meet with a lot of opposition, not just from unions but from the public who will be affected by cuts in the services they receive.”

Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, said: “The Chancellor has talked about undertaking a zero-based review of spending, this must include a realistic assessment of what the Civil Service doesn’t do in future as a result of these cuts.

‘Public servants in both ‘back office’ and ‘front line’ roles will both be critical todelivering on the Government’s missions, and the Government must recognise that many civil servants are working in ‘front line’ roles.”