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

Compliance and Monitoring Officer - Braintree District Council

Essex County Council
Up to £20.0000 per hour
Compliance and Monitoring Officer - Braintree District CouncilBraintree, Essex Full-Time, Temporary 37 Hours per Week 6 Months Contract £20.00 PAYE / England, Essex, Braintree
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Residential Assistant

Essex County Council
Up to £25959.0000 per annum
Residential AssistantPermanent, Part Time£25,959 per annum (full time equivalent) Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Personal Advisor

Essex County Council
£33049.0000 - £37698.0000 per annum
Personal AdvisorFixed Term, Full Time£33,049 to £37,698 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Community Safety Service Manager

Bristol City Council
£72,878 - £80,741
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced community safety expert to join our senior leadership team.  Bristol
Recuriter: Bristol City Council

Painter

Durham County Council
£36,040 p.a. (Made up of £24,027 salary plus £12,013 p.a Interim Operational Allowance)
Durham County Council have an exciting opportunity for the role of a permanent Painter working within Corporate Property and Land, Strategic Facilitie Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner