Mark Whitehead 18 March 2019

Birmingham council and union ‘welcome’ end to refuse dispute

Refuse collectors who took part in a series of strikes in Birmingham are to be given £3,500 each in a settlement which both sides say has ended the long-running dispute.

Unite the Union claimed its members had been discriminated against when it was discovered that workers in another union who did not take part in a strike last year had been given payments.

The council has now also agreed it will stop using crews that do not meet the union's demand for full staffing and will hold a recruitment day so that agency staff will be able to apply for full-time positions.

It will also commission a review of the 'future options for delivery of the waste service'.

Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett welcomed the 'excellent' settlement: 'Unite has been consistent from the beginning of the dispute that our members were simply seeking parity, with the payments that workers who did not take part in the 2017 dispute, subsequently received.

'Once that principle was understood the dispute could be resolved.'

Council leader Ian Ward said: 'Everyone involved has always had the same aim – to deliver the best possible service for citizens, as clean streets have consistently been named as the number one priority for the people of Birmingham.

'We all know the service needs to be better than it has been. This settlement will enable us to lay the foundations for improvement.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Assistant Director for Estate Strategy and Development  

Derbyshire County Council
£71,202 - £77,495 per annum
We are seeking an ambitious and strategic leader to join our senior management team as Assistant Director for Estate Strategy & Development. Matlock, Derbyshire
Recuriter: Derbyshire County Council

Information Governance Officer

Essex County Council
£29432.0000 - £34519.0000 per annum
Information Governance OfficerFixed Term, Full Time£29,342 to £34,519 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

ESCA Development Assistant

Essex County Council
£25959.0000 - £27613.0000 per annum
ESCA Development AssistantFixed Term, Full Time£25,959 to £27,613 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Closed Landfill Site Operative

Essex County Council
£25959.00 - £28621.00 per annum
Closed Landfill Site OperativeFixed Term, Full Time£25,959 up to £28,621 per annum Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Apprentice Admin Assistant

Durham County Council
£8 per hour
Apprentice Admin Assistant Apprentice £8 per hour. Temporary contract for approx. 18 months Full Time, Term Time Only, Required to start September 202 Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner