On 11th November 2020, Croydon Council was forced to issue a s114 notice, effectively meaning the local authority is bankrupt.

This comes after a decade of Tory government austerity, which has seen the borough's central funding cut by 76% and essential services have been cut to the bone. 

While there have also been questionable financial decisions locally, this situation has been made far worse by the Covid-19 pandemic which has dramatically increased expenditure and reduced income; - and additional funding from the Conservative government has in no way covered the shortfall.

Croydon Council has since announced a programme of cuts, to reduce the budget deficit, but this means many more council jobs will be lost and vital local services vastly reduced or scrapped altogether. Worse still, we know this is only the first round of what will be years of cuts and restructures if government policy and the amount of support available doesn't quickly change. 

There is also a risk that the terms and conditions of the borough's key council workers, fought for over years, will be targeted in order to make savings- though these workers have kept residents safe and supported throughout multiple Covid-19 lockdowns. 

Unite the Union, Unison, the GMB union and signatories, call upon the government to urgently increase the financial support available for councils across the country to help them through the pressure of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

We urge the local authority and elected MPs to speak out and pressure the government to offer Croydon residents a fair deal and avoid years of hardship and mass outsourcing of services that we have seen elsewhere. We also strongly oppose any threats to workers pay, terms and working conditions as a result of the s114 notice and call on all parties to work closely with the recognised Trade Unions to get the best outcome for Croydon residents and employees together.