Volunteers should not be resented for picking up the slack following spending cuts, says Vibeka Mair.

The axe has barely began swinging yet already the fallout from public sector cuts is raging.

Unison is currently supporting library staff members in Southampton, who have gone on strike this week in response to library closures and the replacement of trained staff by volunteers, according to i-volunteer.

Worryingly, they have created a policy of non-cooperation with the new volunteers, refusing to work with them or train them.

Worse still, i-volunteer reports that Unison’s branch secretary for Southampton, Mike Tucker says volunteers could damage the library services:

“We believe that the use of volunteers will eventually run down the library services,” he says. “So much that in future libraries will be little more than charity book shops.”

Why is Unite targeting volunteers?

Volunteers are often the lifeblood of charities, they pick up the slack, will go the extra mile and often keep services going if an organisation’s fortunes change.

Instead of taking a ‘them and us’ stance, Unison should seek to engage with volunteers who care enough for their community to make sure the library stays open and are probably as angry as staff at cuts being made.

Unison boss Tucker is right in saying that volunteers should supplement workers in public services, not replace them.

But this is an issue which should be taken up and directed at the council, not the legions of volunteers who give their time to support their fellow neighbour.