Tomorrow, which I am attending, PCS members who work for the Land Registry will be lobbying Parliament about the latest proposals from LR management which argue for outsourcing, privatisation, closure of 5 offices and with up to 1400 workers losing their jobs.
This is further evidence of the vicious ongoing attacks on the public sector. They say ‘efficiency savings’ which is nothing more than an exercise in sanitised language, euphemisms for what they really mean, cuts.
As Chris Baugh (Assistant General Secretary of the PCS) argues:
It is staggering that over a third of land and property in England and Wales isn’t registered. What is needed is a Domesday book for the 21st century to ensure confidence and security in land ownership. Cutting staff and closing offices will undermine this confidence and result in a poorer service that will hamper the Land Registry’s ability to respond to a recovery in the housing market. 1,700 jobs have already been lost over the last two years and plans for more cuts and privatisation will see the loss of yet more skilled and experienced staff. Completing the land register should be the priority not knee jerk cuts that could end up costing the taxpayer more in the long term.
After the lobby there will be rally with various speakers including MP John McDonnell.
I would also suggest privatising it further shrouds land ownership from public awareness (ie who has lots of it and has done for centuries).
Yes indeed, and there has been a pamphlet published recently, ‘The Alternative Vision for the Land Registry’.. which looks at those questions.
LRC is also supporting PCS members in their struggle:
http://l-r-c.org.uk/press/lrc-backs-pcs-land-registry-members-in-their-fight-against-cuts/