'Urge the leaders at Wrexham Council to take responsibility'

MS for Wrexham

Since early September, council workers in Wrexham have been on strike due to an ongoing pay dispute. A number of services have been affected by the strike action, most noticeably bin collections.

Council workers provide an invaluable service to residents day in and day out yet for many, their pay is barely above the minimum wage.

Almost 14 years of cuts, austerity measures and financial mismanagement by successive Conservative Governments in Westminster has left us with sky-high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis. Increasing mortgage rates coupled with food and energy price rises has resulted in workers struggling to make ends meet.

To be clear, the strikes are not a nationwide issue. Wrexham is the only local authority area in North Wales where workers have been forced to take action.

The impasse has dragged on long enough and I urge the leaders at Wrexham Council to take responsibility and find a satisfactory resolution.

Low-income families in Wrexham could be entitled to up to £200 to help with essentials like school uniform, shoes, bags, stationery, sports kit and equipment.

Its thanks to the Welsh Labour Government’s Schools Essentials Grant and latest figures reveal over 100,000 children in Wales benefited from the scheme last year.

With the winter months drawing closer, this money could be a real lifeline, ensuring pupils have the necessary equipment to attend and enjoy school.

The grant is open until 31 May 2024. You can find out if your child is eligible and claim now via the website. If any constituent requires further information, please get in touch.

Finally, several constituents have contacted me lately highlighting the number of trains being cancelled between Wrexham and Bidston. On one recent occasion, due to cancellations, passengers had to wait four hours at Wrexham before being able to travel.

I recognise the service has had a number of issues to contend with, which I thought had been remedied, but, unfortunately, it does appear replacement buses, cancellations and a reduced timetable are becoming the norm.

I’ve written to the Chief Executive of Transport for Wales to ascertain the latest position and find out when constituents can expect a reliable service.

As always, if you’re a constituent in Wrexham and there is something I could help you with, please do not hesitate to contact me via email: lesley.griffiths@senedd.wales or call my office: 01978 355743.