A PUBLIC meeting will be held in Winsford next week as part of a borough-wide campaign against the public sector cuts.

Cheshire West Against the Cuts was launched 12 months ago by the West Cheshire Unison branch to fight changes to public services including the NHS, youth services, libraries and care for the elderly.

A number of meetings have already been held across the borough and on Wednesday, September 14, unionists will come to Winsford to expose the affects of the cuts in the area.

Ray McHale, of the West Cheshire Unison branch, said: “Much of the focus of our campaign has been around the Government’s proposed NHS reforms – which returns to Parliament this week.

“They propose a disastrous mixture of restructuring, funding cuts and privatization designed to break up our cherished National Health Service.

“But we also campaign against all public service cuts, which are seeing thousands of jobs cut and pushing our economy back into recession.

“Our local Conservative council has cut around 2,000 jobs since it was established three years ago.

“In the last year over 350 staff have been forcibly retired because they were 65 years old. Most have not been replaced leaving services stretched to the limit.

“We have seen major cuts to support staff in children’s care centres and the privatization of home care and leisure services – including the Winsford Lifestyle Centre.”

The meeting will be held at the Dingle Community Centre from 7.30pm and is open to everyone.

Speakers from UNISON, the public sector union, will be on hand to explain the Government’s NHS reform.

There will also be a speaker from a Liverpool school currently fighting Academy status and contributions from trade unionists and Disabled People Against the Cuts, about changes to the benefit system.