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Thousands strike in pay band row City hit by council staff walkout
(about 2 hours later)
More than 120 schools in Birmingham have closed as thousands of council workers stage a 24-hour strike. About 3,000 striking council workers in Birmingham have held a rally in the city centre.
Up to 20,000 staff voted to strike over plans to restructure pay bands. Unions have claimed they were not consulted. They gathered outside the Town Hall after their walkout led to the closure of more than 120 schools and dozens of libraries and leisure centres.
The walkout has also forced the closure of about 20 libraries and around 10 leisure centres and there have been no bin collections. Staff at the city council are angry at plans to re-structure wages among some of the 55,000 employees.
Residential homes and care services have not been affected, Birmingham City Council said. More than 4,000 staff face a wage cut - with some claiming it could slash their pay by up to £18,000 a year.
'Faceless people' The row flared up after council leaders proposed the new contracts, which are designed to deliver equal pay to men and women.
The council, the biggest unitary authority in the UK, said it was legally obliged to review services. The rally, attended by thousands of workers carrying placards, took place at lunchtime after staff across the city had brought some services to a standstill with scores of picket lines outside schools, depots and offices.
It claims 45% of the workers will get a "considerable increase". Residential homes and care services have not been affected by the strike and teachers had not taken part in the stoppage , the council said.
But the unions said some council workers could lose up to £18,000 a year each under the plans.
They have said there is a possibility of further strikes.
Workers including cooks, cleaners and teaching assistants are on strike, forcing the closure of more than 120 of the city's 450 schools.
Pickets were being held at council premises across the cityPickets were being held at council premises across the city
Demonstrators said they had organised several hundred picket lines across the city, including schools, social services premises and libraries. The authority, the biggest unitary authority in the UK, said it was legally obliged to review services and claims 45% of the workers will get a "considerable increase".
A woman, who was one of about 30 on a picket line at Lancaster Circus on Tuesday morning, is set to lose about £11,000 of her salary. But the unions said some council workers could lose thousands of pounds under the plans and that there is a possibility of further strikes.
The worker, who has been with the council for 41 years, does administration and said: "I think that's part of the problem - that I am one of the faceless people, people behind the scenes." Tuesday's action began in the early hours, with more than 80 people on one picket line in Kings Norton from about 0600 GMT.
Joining the picket line outside Birmingham Town Hall were Trevolin Newell, Pauline Gordon, and Evelyn Joesbury, who all work at Viscount House children's home at Castle Vale. As the likes of some caretakers and teaching assistants did not turn up for work, schools did not open, with more than 120 shut out of about 450 in the city.
Miss Newell, 52, a cook, has worked for the council for 19 years. More than 20 neighbourhood offices were closed, along with 20 libraries and 10 leisure centres.
Mrs Gordon, 53, and Mrs Joesbury, 59, who work as domestics at the home, have worked for the authority for 26 years and 29 years respectively. Bin collections were also affected, although the council has asked people to still put rubbish out in the hope of clearing the backlog in the next couple of days.
Chief negotiator However, last week refuse collectors and street cleaners agreed to a new deal which gave them extra wages in return for the scrapping of a bonus payments.
All three women said they were unhappy with the new pay bands, which put them on the lowest grade possible. 'Stand tall'
Miss Newell said: "I have always been angry about our wages because we have been at the bottom of the pile, but we have never gone this far before." Caroline Johnston, assistant branch secretary for the Birmingham branch of Unison, was greeted with rapturous applause, when she announced at the city centre rally that action had forced the closures.
Demonstrators outside Birmingham Town Hall held placards saying "Rudge won't budge on equal pay" and "we have got a grudge against Rudge". She said: "We should be very proud of our unity today. We can return to work tomorrow and stand tall and proud.
The placards referred to councillor Alan Rudge, cabinet member for equality and human resources, who has been a chief negotiator in the new contracts. "If the council don't come back, we will be calling more action."
Workers were joined by union representatives for the strike Council workers say the new pay bands for staff are unfair
The council's chief executive, Stephen Hughes, apologised for the inconvenience, but said the offer was "very generous" and described the strike as "entirely unnecessary".The council's chief executive, Stephen Hughes, apologised for the inconvenience, but said the offer was "very generous" and described the strike as "entirely unnecessary".
He said: "Many of the issues they've raised we believe that we can come to a resolution on. He said: "Many of the issues they've raised we believe we can come to a resolution on.
"So we very much regret the fact that they've decided to go ahead and take industrial action anyway. "So we very much regret the fact they've decided to go ahead and take industrial action anyway.
"The agreement we came to (with) the refuse collectors and street cleaners last week was an indication of the way in which we're willing to be flexible."The agreement we came to (with) the refuse collectors and street cleaners last week was an indication of the way in which we're willing to be flexible.
"We are going to concentrate on ensuring that all essential services are maintained and do whatever we can to recover later in the week from any backlogs that occur.""We are going to concentrate on ensuring that all essential services are maintained and do whatever we can to recover later in the week from any backlogs that occur."
The council has told people to still put rubbish out as it would try to clear the backlog in the next couple of days.
Steve Akers, regional officer for Unison, said: "The council has a choice - they are standing on the precipice.
"If they make the choice to impose, then they are saying to the people of Birmingham and their own workforce that they choose to be in conflict with them."
Members of Unison, Unite, the GMB and the construction workers union Ucatt are taking part in the strike.Members of Unison, Unite, the GMB and the construction workers union Ucatt are taking part in the strike.
The council listed the expected closures on its website. Joining the picket line outside the town hall was cook Trevolin Newell, who has worked for the council for 19 years. She said: "I have always been angry about our wages because we have been at the bottom of the pile, but we have never gone this far before."