Two unions representing Labour staff have asked their members if they would be prepared to go on strike should the party decide to make job cuts.
Unite and GMB unions will hold indicative ballots next week over potential compulsory redundancies during an overhaul of the party’s structure amid reports that Labour is looking to cut around 90 positions as a result of financial pressures.
When contacted by the BBC for comment, the Labour Party politely declined.
LabourList reports the party is currently seeking to make voluntary cuts through redundancy, but more volunteers are needed. The two unions will ballot its members between 23 and 31 August, asking whether they would take action if compulsory cuts were announced.
Union legislation states that before taking any strike action, a further ballot of members would have to take place.
Labour has been struggling financially from the pay-outs in legal cases relating to anti-Semitism and fighting three general elections since 2015.
In the most recent annual report, it was revealed that 421 staff were employed by the party in December of 2019. 367 of those held full-time positions.
Unite regional officer Matt Smith said staff had “worked tirelessly” and “should not be made to pay the price for this reorganisation”.
GMB organiser Vaughan West said the union “will ask members if they are willing to strike over compulsory redundancies”.
West warned: “If the answer is yes then we won’t hesitate moving to a formal strike ballot”.
Asked on Monday about the safety of jobs, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “I’m very anxious and concerned that we should ensure the Labour Party is election-ready for May 2023. We’re going through a reorganization to make sure everything we do will be focused on that election”.
