GMB, the union for staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens, is calling for public support to save 120 jobs under threat at Kew Gardens, London and at Wakehurst Place, near Haywards Heath, Sussex due to government cuts.
In 1983, 90 per cent of Kew’s funding came from the UK Government as grant in aid. The current amount has dropped to below 40 per cent as of this year.
Funding was reduced by £0.9m in 2009-10, £1m in 2010-11, and by an extra £0.5m year-on-year since then. Kew has now been told to expect further cuts of at least another £1.5m before the end of 2016.
Kew has announced that due to a £5m deficit for this year over 120 posts will be cuts. The majority of posts will be lost in the areas of science and public engagement.
A national campaign has been launched with a petition and Early Day Motion in Parliament.
Paul Grafton, GMB regional officer, said: "Never before has Kew faced such a significant threat to its future. It now needs public support to ensure its globally-important plant and fungal collections can continue to be used to support plant and fungal science and conservation around the world.
"The majority of posts to be cut are for people in specialist careers measured in decades of experience so Kew will lose dedicated, expert staff, and whole areas of work are likely to be halted."
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