Exclusive Stirrer Podcast

WHITBY WELCOMES WORKERS PAY CHALLENGE

27-12-2007

Birmingham Council leader Mike Whitby is actively encouraging disgruntled workers to launch a challenge over their new pay and conditions. In a wide-ranging interview for The Stirrer podcast, he also described the current debate over a mayoral referendum as “puerile”.

The conversation was recorded just before Christmas in Whitby’s office in the Council House, after a glass of gluhwein had been taken at the Christmas Market – a winning attraction of which the city can be proud.

Whitby begins by outlining his thoughts on the redevelopment of the former MG Rover site at Longbridge…to read more about that, click here

The discussion soon strays into other areas. Here are a few highlights.

On the redevelopment of New Street station which is awaiting full government aproval, he encourages the view - as did Liam Byrne on this site recently - that positive news is imminent. Ministers, he says, “have indicated to me that we’ve satisfied all their questions.”

As for the ongoing discussion of a mayoral referendum, Whitby believes that the discussion has been “contrived” and “puerile”, and he comes close to criticising his own party leader Dave Cameron.

He points out that pro-Cameron think tanks had other ideas like taxing plasma TV screens which have bitten the dust, and suggests elected mayors will come into the same category. The whole issue, Whitby argues, is a “distraction” to the real issue, which is “the emasculation of local government.”

Finally, the Council’s single status pay initiative was, he points out, imposed by central government, but he encourages unhappy staff to appeal, insisting “we only want to do what is right by the workforce.”

To hear the full podcast click here

(mp3 file opening in a new window)

Then discuss it on The Stirrer Forum