St David’s Hall – Labour agree anti-union deal with privatisers

By John Williams (Cardiff East Socialist Party)

A community campaign fought the privatisation of St David’s Hall earlier in the year, and opposed plans to close a Cardiff library and further library cuts. Unfortunately, the Labour council went ahead with privatisation.

It’s now been revealed that the council agreed a secret anti-union deal with the new owners, when it privatised St David’s Hall.

Whilst this recent revelation is shocking, it’s not surprising. And is further evidence that the Labour council is doing the Tories’ dirty work.

Cardiff Council has scrapped more than 2,500 jobs and passed more than £200 million of cuts since 2010. And things are set to get worse as Mark Drakeford, Labour’s First Minister of Wales, is demanding that the Welsh Government find cuts worth £900 million!

The local secretary of the Unison trade union said: “Trade unions attended a meeting with the new operators of St David’s Hall – Academy Music Group – where they informed us they won’t be recognising trade unions.

“Apparently, they’ve been open about this with Cardiff Council from the start… All three trade unions – GMB, Unison, Unite – have asked for an urgent meeting”.