Latest news with #OnayKasab
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bin truck drivers' pay could fall by £8,000
Bin lorry drivers in Birmingham could have their pay cut by up to £8,000 under new proposals, their union said, as the city's bin strike enters its eighth week. Refuse workers belonging to Unite started an all-out strike on 11 March, in a standoff with the council over proposed changes to roles and resulting pay cuts. Unite said on Tuesday that, under new council plans, bin lorry drivers' pay could also fall from £40,000 to £32,000. Birmingham City Council said it was carrying out a "fair and transparent job evaluation process" agreed with trade unions, to comply with equal pay laws. The council added the final workshop to evaluate a role known as "driver team leader" had taken place on Tuesday, but its results were "subject to further collective consultation". Birmingham's bin strikes have led to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish piling up on the city's streets, rat infestations, and fears for public health. Residents have been caught in the middle of the dispute and many have stepped forward to help each other out, with neighbours sharing trips to the tip and volunteers cleaning the streets. Unite confirmed reports about 200 drivers, mostly men, were told on Tuesday their jobs would be moved down from Grade 4 to Grade 3 under the new proposals. The union added driver team leaders were in a Grade 4 pay band which ran from £33,366 to £40,476. This would be dropped to a Grade 3 pay band, which runs from £26,409 to £32,654, if the proposal goes ahead. Council sources told the BBC the grading proposal was "indicative" rather than final, adding no change was likely to be made until the autumn and options such as pay protection were being considered. Every job at the Labour-run council is being reviewed as part of the authority's efforts to avoid another equal pay crisis. The bin strike dispute initially centred on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from some bin workers, which Unite has said would result in a pay cut for those workers and make all staff less safe. The council has previously said affected workers have been offered alternative options and the WRCO role does not exist at other authorities. Unite has more recently urged the council to guarantee bin lorry drivers' existing levels of pay, particularly with many WRCOs encouraged to take up driver training to protect their incomes. The council said on Tuesday it was committed to finding a fair deal for drivers and collectors, adding it was due to have scheduled talks with Unite later this week. Unite's national lead officer Onay Kasab told BBC Radio WM that the figures pertaining to drivers were simple. "This is about a straight forward cut in pay. Going down to a Grade 3 from a Grade 4 is a straight £8,000-a-year cut and there's no arguing about that," he said. He also accused the council of "playing games" over the matter, saying: "The fact is they said there would be no pay cut. Today, they've announced a pay cut." The standoff between the council and striking workers takes place against a backdrop of a city facing huge financial challenges. A significant part of Birmingham's travails are linked to financial fallout from equal pay liabilities, with the authority declaring itself effectively bankrupt in 2023. Cuts in government funding and a £100m overspend on a dysfunctional IT system have also contributed to the authority's turmoil, which has seen it cut £300m in spending over two years - and tax rise for residents. Max Caller was appointed by the previous Conservative government to oversee the council's financial recovery. He said on Tuesday that it was impossible to estimate the true costs of settling the council's equal pay dispute, despite an agreement with trade unions to pay out £250m. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, he said more claims were in the pipeline but the aim was to keep the final cost below the original estimate of £750m. Mr Caller said: "It is very encouraging that the council has been able to reach a deal with its recognised trade unions to bring that part of the equal pay liability to conclusion. "There are further claims not generated by trade unions. I don't know what that bill will be but the starting point has got to be the deal with the trade unions because that sets the benchmark." As for the bins row, Mr Caller said he was not involved in negotiations to end the strike, despite claims from Unite that he was the "principle decision maker". He said: "'The council is leading on these negotiations, the commissioner's position is that we are fully behind the council in seeking a resolution which modernises this service." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Birmingham's still amazing despite bin strike - poet How much do bin workers get paid? Why are Birmingham bin workers on strike? Birmingham City Council Unite
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Conciliation talks planned for Birmingham bin strike
Mediation talks with conciliation service Acas to resolve the ongoing Birmingham bin strike dispute will be no "miracle cure", a former chief executive has Taylor, former chief executive of Acas, said both parties have to understand they need to reach a solution. Union members agreed to meet with the independent body after talks with Birmingham City Council to resolve the strike, which began on 11 March, broke up after 40 minutes. Unite the Union said a deal could be within "touching distance" ahead of their meeting with Acas next week. But what is Acas and how can they help? Acas is an independent service which has no statutory offers employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice. Mr Taylor told BBC Radio WM that when organisations call in Acas it means parties are "actually now looking for a solution.""We all have what happens is at some point your emotions start to rule your actions, whereas actually what you need is a third party who can sit back and be objective and help you through the issues, and try and find those areas where you agree," he said. "Generally people agree about many more things than they disagree." Mr Taylor said while he believes "common sense" has kicked in by bringing in Acas, both the council and Unite need to remember the third party - the customer."It is about the people and businesses of Birmingham who are not receiving the service that they should," he added."I am pretty sure the council and the union both want to provide a good service to the customer and that is what the focus has got to be about."Unite's national lead officer Onay Kasab said after the council meeting on Wednesday that "the battle has never been about making things difficult for the public" but for "protecting members pay." 'Nub of the issues' Birmingham City Council have said they are now able to give people a designated bin collection on their day once a week.A council spokesperson said "negotiations are ongoing, they are positive and there has been an agreement that there will be further discussions at the end of next week under Acas."The dispute initially centred on the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles, however, Unite has also urged the council to guarantee the long-term pay for bin lorry union bosses said a resolution could be in sight on the WRCO role row, they said an agreement seemed further off around drivers' pay. Mr Taylor said the discussions about drivers now could mean that both are "getting to the nub of the issues" rather than a "very general one"."What would normally happen is Acas would have separate talks with each party, would really get down to the nub of the issues and then try and bring them together, and agree a route towards a solution," he said."Acas tends to work behind the scenes, doesn't talk to the media because what it is trying to do is resolve the issues. "If people have decided to come to Acas then that is a pretty good indication that they want to try and find a solution." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Birmingham bin strike staff to hold rally after deal rejected
Striking bin workers are to stage a rally a day after the Unite union members rejected the city council's latest pay offer to end the industrial than 350 refuse collectors have been on an all-out strike since 11 March and this latest stand-off with the Labour-run council, will lead to bin bags and fly-tipped rubbish continuing to pile up on Monday workers voted to reject the council's latest offer, which Unite said was "totally inadequate" and also did not address potential pay cuts for 200 council has said the offer on the table is fair and includes options for affected workers, but . The rally, due to take place at 10:30 BST outside the council house, will involve handing over a petition in support of the striking negotiations between the two sides are scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The dispute centres around the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles from some bin workers. 'Let's get back to normal' As the strike rumbles on, national government ministers have also voiced concerns over the situation in the UK's second largest city."Our message, loud and clear, is that Unite need to call off the strike, accept the deal, and let's get back to normal," industry minister Sarah Jones told BBC union said its workers were striking in order to prevent pay cuts, not in a bid to get more money than they currently receive."Our members would like nothing better than to be able to call off the strike and get back to work," Onay Kasab, Unite national lead officer, told BBC Breakfast."But as things stand, we still have people who are going to be facing huge pay cuts as a result of this." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
