Birmingham City Council has been accused of ‘bullying’ over ranking agency bin drivers
The ‘league’ table with names blurred out
The city council has been accused of ‘bullying’ agency bin workers by ‘ranking’ their driving performances in a ‘league table’ pinned to their staff room wall.
The table, naming and ranking drivers in order of their ‘infringements’ according to tachograph readings, was displayed inside the Smithfield bin depot off Sherlock Street.
Tachographs record driving time, speed, distance and other data used to monitor HGV drivers.
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Unite, the union representing striking bin workers, claimed the list was a “bullying tactic” used to keep drivers “in line”.
It also said the display amounted to a “serious contravention of GDPR legislation” because it contained personal information.
The council has since removed the table, acknowledging that names should not have been included, but strongly denied allegations of bullying.
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Some drivers employed through the Job & Talent agency have been working on the council’s refuse service for more than a decade without being offered a full-time contract. Unite said the ranking exercise highlighted the lack of job security for agency staff.
Agency workers on the refuse contract are set to join full-time council staff on the picket line from December 1.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham claimed: “The public ranking of the drivers’ tachograph infringements is just another bullying tactic, along with blacklisting threats, to keep them in line.
“The way these workers are being treated is disgraceful and Unite will provide maximum support in helping them ensure they are treated with the respect they deserve.”
In a letter to the council, Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “This is information that should be confidential, not available for public viewing and certainly not used for the purpose of publicly shaming employees.
“I am certain that there is no provision within any council policy that allows for this to take place. Further, the council is in serious breach of GDPR regulations.”
The council “strongly” denied the allegations of bullying.
A spokesperson for the authority told BirminghamLive: “The purpose of the communication was about ongoing service improvements but we acknowledge that names should not have been published and the notice has been removed.
“Following an internal review, it is confirmed this does not meet the criteria for notification to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
“However, an overview of key performance indicators will continue to be shared to help drive improvement, which is standard practice.
“Our crews’ and contractors’ workloads are in line with industry standards, with crew performance monitored to ensure collection standards are met.
“Crews are supported throughout their employment, and the management team work in partnership with the agency and the collection crews to jointly review targets.”