Lollipop men and women: the difference seven years makes
What a difference seven years makes. In 2001 lollipop men and women in Liverpool were getting a 400% increase in the retainer paid to them, now 25 face the axe.
I am of course referring to the recent coverage of Liverpool Council's proposal to save ã200K by getting rid of 25 lollipop jobs.
Deputy council leader Flo Clucas has been getting flack over this decision.
Dale Street Blues has been made aware of some quotes attributed to Cllr Clucas made back in 2001 when lollipop retainers were being increased from ã5.50 per week to ã19.08:
"School crossing patrols have a vital role in assisting the children of Liverpool to get to and from school.
"They perform a difficult job all year round and this initiative is aimed at demonstrating how much we value their work."
Then last week defending the move to replace lollipop men and women with unmanned crossings she said:
"Obviously it is safer if you've got crossings because you can never guarantee people are going to turn up. With crossings, you've got 24-hour coverage."
Issues are never as simple as they first seem, and no doubt more detail will emerge.
Clearly the city has had trouble hiring enough (or hanging on to enough) lollipop men and women if back in 2001 it was increasing their retainer by 400%.
Cllr Clucas has a reputation for being thorough and thoughtful, and it may be on paper, at least, this decision makes financial sense.
But regardless of this lollipop men and women are great British institutions, like post offices, and when threatened there is always a huge uproar.
Some how I don't think a debate at tonight's full council meeting will be the final word on the matter.
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David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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It is also interesting that the Culture company in one of it's first commissions for 2008, produced a film celebrating the vital contribution and role played by the city's Lollipop ladies and gentlemen, with them proudly marching around calderstones park. That's their legacy sorted then.
The word hypocrisy seems to have special relevance here.
You have to ask the question of Councillor Clucas, what's changed in the last seven years?
They were fine upstanding citizens in 2001, now they are extremely unreliable men and women who might never turn up for work.
The answer of course as to what has changed is....the money!
Having frittered away a fortune on huge pay offs for fat cats, the coffers are emnpty and the council are now hitting men and women who are on very low pay.
More importantly in getting rid of 25 lollipo staff, they are putting the lives of very young children at risk.
The Lib Dims should be hung out to dry for this.
Hypocrites.