Bin workers have been told they are not allowed to drink and other staff told they shouldn't "have fun" at the weekends, it's been claimed. It's been alleged that those working in the recycling services have been subject to rules that govern their free time.
The claims were made by a Labour councillor at a Staffordshire scrutiny meeting. Councillor Charlotte Atkinsc said one worker on the outsourced bins service was told that, as he'd been injured, he "shouldn't be enjoying himself at the weekends".
According to Councillor Atkins, the Staffordshire worker was advised against "having a bit of a jig". And she said that another worker - a driver - had been warned he shouldn't drink alcohol at any time, StokeonTrentLive reports.
Councillor Atkins added: "It seems to me - irrespective of outsourcing those services - we still have a duty of care to those employees. I’ve been picking up some issues around poor human resource practices, in terms of the dustbin and recycling collections.
“It’s very difficult for employees to raise it directly with their employer because they can be easily be bullied.”
She called for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to have proper oversight of those employment practices and the opportunity for employees to get in touch with the council directly so it could ensure they were treated fairly. She said: “What I’d like to see would be confidential employee surveys so staff could report back to SMDC if there are any issues arising within that particular contractor’s employment practices.”
Councillor Atkins explained the council’s leisure centre provider hadn’t increased wages for freelance staff for a number of years, and that this was hard for employees to raise this because they can be easily dismissed if they cause a fuss. She added: “It’s very difficult for a freelancer to raise that, because they’ll be pushed out of the door."
Communities cabinet member Cllr Ross Ward responded to the claims saying some industries did have stricter health and safety rules than others. He said: “We haven’t got all the objective facts - for example, if you were working in the rail industry that would be an expectation in terms of alcohol consumption.
“There are higher levels and expectations, particularly in high risk vehicles that are working close to the public highway. I don’t know the specifics, but it would need an objective assessment to see whether that was reasonable or unreasonable.”
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has been approached for comment.
