How to make progress on the Council strikes
5th July 2011
Over the last month I have repeatedly pressed Council leaders to meet with their staff to resolve the current strike action and to make sure vital services like bin collection are resumed as quickly as possible.
No other Council in Britain is going through what Southampton is currently going through in terms of industrial action. Our Tory Council is unique in the country with regards to its threat to sack its entire workforce if they do not agree to the Council’s new contracts.
It’s clear that compromises are going to have to be made on both sides to resolve this dispute. As I've previously highlighted, Southampton has been dealt an outrageous deal by government in terms of funding cuts- with the government cutting Southampton’s funding by 4 times as much as Hampshire and other, wealthier areas. As a result of the scale of funding cut by this Tory government, Southampton City Council faces very difficult decisions over how to carry on funding local services.
When you're running an organisation that's going to feel the pain of massive funding cuts like this, it's more important than ever to involve your workforce in the process of how to deal with those cuts.
That's why it was a serious managerial mistake for the Tory Council to say to its employees "we're tearing up your old contracts, and if you don't sign new ones with worse terms and conditions, you're sacked."
It is extraordinary that talks to resolve this strike have been put off because Conservative Councillors have been on holiday. And it is worrying that in their statements to the press, Council leaders are giving the impression that they don't feel any responsibility for getting this strike resolved. That urgently needs to change.
My strong impression from speaking to Council staff is that many have no in principle objection to looking at changes to terms and conditions as part of a negotiated settlement to keep the Council going. But the way the Conservatives has gone about it- just announcing these new contracts and threatening to sack anyone who doesn’t sign- has effectively hobbled negotiations so far.
My recommendation to both the Conservatives and the unions is as follows: the Conservatives should withdraw their threat to sack anyone who doesn’t sign up to their new contracts; and in return the unions should call off the strike. This will create the space for serious and frank talks on how to better balance the Council budget and protect local services.
But beyond this, it’s vitally important that Conservative Councillors recognise that they were elected with the responsibility of running Southampton in both good times and bad. It is simply not good enough for them to cast around blaming everybody else and hoping the problem will resolve itself. They are the administration; they run Southampton; and every iota of their energy right now should be going towards resolving this dispute in a speedy and sustainable manner. Southampton residents deserve and expect no less.
More information
Alan is continuing to press both sides on the Council to come to a negotiated settlement as quickly as possible. Regrettably Alan does not have the power to instruct the Council to clear away rubbish while this dispute is ongoing. However the Council has published online guidance on who to contact if there is a serious environmental or fire hazard as a result of uncollected waste, which is reproduced below.
Southampton City Council Environmental Health Advice
Fire Risk: If you have concerns about rubbish building up close to your home and you think this may be a fire hazard, please report it to Actionline on 0800 5191919 in order that a risk assessment can be carried out.
Rats: These are always present in the vicinity of people but are not normally visible during the day. However, where food refuse is available, rats often become bolder and people start to notice them more. You should always use gloves when handling refuse and refuse bags that might have been contaminated by rats and always thoroughly wash your hands with soap and hot water after handling refuse. The Environmental Health Service keeps a record of rat sightings and pest control requests and if you would like more information or advice about rats, you can contact the Council’s Pest Control Service on 023 8083 2531.
Flies: Many people find maggots unpleasant but it is the adult flies that carry the germs and the problem arises if the flies have access to food. So, always keep food covered and properly stored.
Smells: Household waste will become smelly very quickly in warm weather and can be unpleasant if the refuse is stored near people’s windows and doors. Although this is unpleasant and can cause people distress or affect their feeling of wellbeing, it is not, in itself a health hazard.
Dangerous items and obstruction: There may be cases where split refuse sacks may contain items that could be hazardous e.g. medicines or hypodermic syringes. Large piles of waste can also create an obstruction to footpaths which can mean that people have to walk in the road.
If you come across situations that you are concerned about, then please contact Actionline on 0800 5191919.
For more information go to www.southampton.gov.uk
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