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.'

Skills Pipelines: What local government needs to know image

Skills Pipelines: What local government needs to know

Councils and mayors are to be handed a central role in developing skills pipelines for local industries, as the Government unveils what it calls a ‘fundamental change’ to the education system aimed at tackling youth unemployment. Here's what council leaders and officers need to know.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Service Manager - Care Leavers

Cheshire East Council
£54,994 per annum - £62,777 per annum
We're looking for an experienced and passionate Service Manager to join Cheshire East Council. Location TBC
Recuriter: Cheshire East Council

SEND Plan Writer

Cheshire East Council
£31,537 - £34,434
We're looking for a dedicated SEND Plan Writer to join Cheshire East. Macclesfield, Cheshire
Recuriter: Cheshire East Council

Independent Reviewing Officer

Cheshire East Council
£42,072 - £54,994
Make a difference for children in care Macclesfield, Cheshire
Recuriter: Cheshire East Council

Occupational Therapy Lead

Gloucestershire County Council
£48,226 - £51,356 per annum
Are you passionate about supporting adults to live independently and achieve what matters most to them? Gloucestershire
Recuriter: Gloucestershire County Council

Adult Education Director

City Of Doncaster Council
DR1 £45,564 to DR8 £52,209
We are seeking an experienced and inspirational Further Education leader Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council
Linkedin Banner