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Birmingham bin deal closer if council puts all in writing - union Birmingham City Council urged to put bin strike pay pledge in writing
(about 2 hours later)
Bin bags have piled up on streets during the disputeBin bags have piled up on streets during the dispute
The Unite union says if Birmingham City Council puts in writing "what it is saying in public" a deal in the bin dispute "would be much closer". The Unite union has said if Birmingham City Council puts in writing "what it is saying in public" a deal in the bin dispute "would be much closer".
In a statement, it claimed the authority's leader John Cotton said that Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) workers moving "sideways" would not lose pay, but this had not been guaranteed long term by the council.In a statement, it claimed the authority's leader John Cotton said that Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) workers moving "sideways" would not lose pay, but this had not been guaranteed long term by the council.
The authority has been invited to comment, while earlier, Cotton told the BBC it knew "services haven't been delivering for parts of the city well enough for long enough" and wanted to find a negotiated solution. Cotton told BBC Midlands Today he was "a little mystified" by the union's remarks and said there was an offer on the table that meant nobody needed to "lose out".
More talks were expected on Wednesday, following union members' rejection of the council's latest pay offer on Monday.More talks were expected on Wednesday, following union members' rejection of the council's latest pay offer on Monday.
Hundreds began an all-out strike on 11 March, in a standoff with the Labour-run council that has led to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish piling up on streets.Hundreds began an all-out strike on 11 March, in a standoff with the Labour-run council that has led to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish piling up on streets.
In Wednesday's statement, Unite said: "Speaking to the BBC this morning ahead of fresh negotiations, council leader John Cotton said, 'we're in a position where nobody needs to be losing income'. The dispute was initially focused on the council's plans to remove the WRCO role, a safety position it said did not exist at other authorities.
However, Unite has more recently urged the council to guarantee bin lorry drivers' existing levels of pay, particularly with many WRCOs encouraged to take up driving training as a way of protecting their income.
In Wednesday's statement, the union said: "Speaking to the BBC this morning ahead of fresh negotiations, council leader John Cotton said, 'we're in a position where nobody needs to be losing income'.
"If this is true and guarantees were put in writing as part of a new offer, a deal would be much closer.""If this is true and guarantees were put in writing as part of a new offer, a deal would be much closer."
A rally was held on Tuesday outside Birmingham City Council, with Unite officials, bin workers and supporters attendingA rally was held on Tuesday outside Birmingham City Council, with Unite officials, bin workers and supporters attending
The guarantee of no loss of pay for hundreds of drivers was not put in the last offer, it added. Unite said drivers on strike had been told during talks their pay was likely to go down from £40,000 to £32,000.
Unite said the union and drivers on strike had been told during talks their pay was likely to go down from £40,000 to £32,000.
It stated: "For WRCO workers who do not wish to make a sideways move, the council are saying in public that they will get a one-off payment of £16,000 which would cover two years' loss of £8,000 in pay cuts.It stated: "For WRCO workers who do not wish to make a sideways move, the council are saying in public that they will get a one-off payment of £16,000 which would cover two years' loss of £8,000 in pay cuts.
"Again, if this is true this needs to be put in writing.""Again, if this is true this needs to be put in writing."
On Tuesday, the council said the amount of uncollected waste had peaked at 22,000 tonnes, and it was on track to clear a backlog by the weekend. General secretary Sharon Graham said she stood ready to meet Cotton and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner over Easter.
'Needs reform' But she said the council leader should "rethink his position" if his comments "prove again to be untrue".
Cotton told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday: "We want to find a negotiated solution to this. "We appear to be in a parallel universe. Yet again John Cotton is saying one thing in public, while his local officers are saying another in the negotiating room and in writing," she said.
"But what we cannot do is take steps that result in us creating further equal pay problems for the council, or indeed prejudice in our budget position, and also the service fundamentally needs reform. On Tuesday, the council said the amount of uncollected waste had peaked at 22,000 tonnes, and it was on track to clear the backlog by the weekend.
"We know that the services haven't been delivering for parts of the city well enough for long enough, and that's something that we need to change." 'Needs to improve'
The leader stated the council had "to be undertaking a full job evaluation process" and it was "doing this in partnership with the trade unions using a nationally recognised job evaluation methodology". Cotton said he was "a little mystified" by Unite's comments but he was keen to see the two parties continue talking so they could bring the dispute "to a close".
Cotton said the authority was "absolutely focused" on ensuring clearance of the accumulation of waste, and it would be "addressing any incidents" that had arisen around pest infestation. Asked if he had told the union that no-one needed to lose any pay, he said: "We've been very clear throughout that there's a reasonable offer on the table that means nobody needs to lose out and that there are alternative roles available."
He said the WRCO role was "not sustainable" and that the council needed to find a way to remodel its waste service.
"The waste service hasn't been good enough in this city and needs to improve, which is why we embarked on the transformation process," he added.
Cotton said any agreement could not cross the council's "red lines" and create any further equal pay issues.
However, he refused to give any guarantees over driver pay and said the role was the subject of a job evaluation process that was being undertaken across the council.
Cotton said he would not comment on a process that "had not been concluded".
On the threat of compulsory redundancies, which was made by the authority on 27 March in relation to 72 refuse staff, Cotton confirmed the consultation process began on 3 April.
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