Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said the proposal is not in line with the ballpark offer discussed at conciliation (ACAS) and has been watered-down by the government commissioners and the leader of the council.
“Numerous deadlines were missed. In fact, what was to be tabled 48 hours after the ACAS talks, arrived as a much watered-down proposal, yesterday evening, three weeks later. Unite will be consulting with our reps over the weekend and will give a detailed response to this watered-down proposal, in advance of a reconvened ACAS meeting. The actual decision makers now need to be in the room at the further ACAS talks.”
Hundreds of union members have been involved in indefinite strikes since March that were launched over opposition to the council’s scrapping of the role of waste recycling and collection officer (WRCO). Unite argued the changes, as proposed, would lead to 150 workers facing pay cuts of up to £8,000. Birmingham City Council has rejected the figures and the number of individuals being impacted by the changes to reshape services. This changes are being driven by the severe financial pressures facing the authority.