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

Social Worker Homelessness

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£38,976 - £52,767
Social Worker – Homelessness£40,... Wandsworth, London
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Driver

Essex County Council
Up to £25081.00 per annum
DriverFixed Term, Part Time£25,081 per annum pro rata Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Transportation and Infrastructure Planner

Essex County Council
£56537.00 - £66514.00 per annum
Principal Transportation and Infrastructure PlannerPermanent, Full Time£56,537 to £66,514 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

NETPark Property Assistant

Durham County Council
Grade 2
Durham County Council
Recuriter: Durham County Council

SENDIASS Officer

Durham County Council
£35,412 - £39,152
An exciting and rewarding opportunity has arisen within the busy and fast paced SEND Information, Advice, Support Service (SENDIASS).   WHAT IS INVOLV Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner