"SOCIALIST WORKERS" TRYING TO WRECK COUNCIL PAY DEAL

18-03-2008

The Birmingham councillor in charge of modernising the city’s pay structure has accused “Socialist Worker activists” of trying to wreck a new deal aimed at halting industrial action.

Alan Rudge – the Cabinet Member for Human Resources – says the latest offer is “fair and reasonable” and has the support of union negotiators, who have so far failed to recommend it to their members only because it might open them up to subsequent legal action.

At a series of public meetings last Thursday and Friday, hundreds of Council staff overwhelmingly rejected the revised structure, which aims to satisfy Single Status legislation – but Rudge doesn't think that is a fair reflection of the workforce as a whole.

“There are some strange things emerging about what went on” he said.

“I’ve been told by various people that Socialist Worker activists were there peddling misinformation.

“All of us have worked very hard on this set of proposals, and they’re based on consensus. For some reason, there are other people trying to upset that by putting forward false statements.”

Rudge pointed out that the number of staff at the public meetings reflects only a small proportion of the Council workforce, and says that in any case the votes there don’t have any legal standing.

He believes that the offer will stand up to the “equality proofing” required by the unions, and says, “what we have put forward is fair and constructive and was constructively discussed by representatives of the workforce.

“If people are interested in the future of this city and in stability and fairness – and in balancing the interests of the council taxpayer and the workforce – they will support this deal.

“Don’t forget this was imposed on us. In the first year it will cost us £24million, and in the next year £35 million. That’s against a tight financial background where we’re trying to improve our services.

“We have at heart the good of the city and its workforce”.

Check out our update on Wolverhampton’s Single Status deal on Wednesday’s Stirrer.

Were the public meetings infiltrated by Socialist Worker extremists? Leave a comment on The Stirrer forum.