The Unite union has released details of a "deal" thrashed out with Birmingham City Council to end the bin strike, and blamed Government-appointed commissioners for it not already having been sealed.
The council's finances led to commissioners being imposed on the authority, with veto powers on financial deals. The bin strike has raged for more than a year but today, Monday, April 27, Labour leader John Cotton said an improved offer was close to agreement by the authority and the union.
Unite said the "ballpark" deal was in place and was a "vindication of the bin workers' struggle for a decent deal following their job evaluation regrading". The union claimed commissioners were the reason the deal had not yet been presented to Unite members.
It confirmed negotiations took place over the last few months to get a deal previously thrashed out at conciliation service Acas back on track. The talks involved Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, council leader Coun John Cotton and Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands.
The full details of the deal were being kept confidential awaiting the detailed offer from the council and it will then be voted on by the bin workers. The broad outline of the ballpark deal is:
- The deal mirroring the Acas ballpark agreement means that workers would get not six months cushion from the impacts of the job evaluation process but a minimum of two years
- Striking agency workers with 12 months plus of employment on the contract will be offered a path to permanent employment
- Disciplinary issues will be quashed and the gross misconduct issue reviewed
- For pension purposes the dispute will be treated as authorised absence
- Legal action on both sides will be ended.
Ms Graham said: "As I have said on many occasions, the workers come first and we will always do everything in our power to ensure that our members are treated with dignity and respect. The move made today by the leader of the council is a vindication of the bin workers' struggle for a decent deal.
"Over the last few months, there have been intense negotiations to get the blocked 'ballpark' deal back on the table, so our members could vote on it. The reason why we are not yet at that stage is purely down to the vindictive interference of the government backed commissioners who have attempted to block the deal again and clearly overstepped their remit.
"Their lack of both experience and industrial relations competence has been a major factor in this dispute, and their malevolent game playing has been an absolute disgrace. The commissioner model is a licence for a few unelected individuals to print money and play games. They have let the workers down, the people of Birmingham down and the council down.
"I salute the fortitude of my members who have needlessly been forced to endure months of attacks and hardship to get us to this point. I thank mayor Richard Parker and Lord Brendan Barber for the important roles both have played in getting us to this point. And I thank the people of Birmingham for their continued patience and support."
