The controversial proposed transfer of 122 city council staff to Bristol Waste has been abandoned. Unions and opposition councillors opposed the move, which they said could undermine the workers’ rights amid claims it was being pushed through against employees’ wishes as a way of propping up the authority’s arms-length waste company.
The “facilities management” staff across six departments had been earmarked for a permanent transfer. But following pressure to scrap the proposal, HR bosses have confirmed it will not now go ahead.
Conservative human resources spokesman Cllr Richard Eddy, who was also a fierce critic of last year’s transfer of more than 200 cleaners and security staff to Bristol Waste, said: “I am delighted that common sense appears to have triumphed in this latest Council U-turn. However, Bristolians have every right to protest that what possessed the Labour mayoral administration to pursue this bizarre and unpopular move, which was not supported by the employees involved, could have led to poorer working rights for them and where there was no real business case supporting the transfer.
Read more: Bristol City Council could ditch controversial transfer of 122 staff to waste firm
“It seems to many of us critics of this off-loading of staff that the political imperative behind the controversial proposal was more driven by the need to financially shore-up the council’s fully owned company Bristol Waste than a proper employer’s duty-of-care to our staff.” Bishopsworth ward Cllr Eddy had tabled a motion calling for the move to be reversed at September’s full council meeting, which was cancelled because of the Queen’s death and the period of national mourning.
He said he would now submit new written questions to Labour mayor Marvin Rees at the next meeting on October 18 demanding to know the rationale behind the idea. A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “Following consideration of the exploratory work undertaken earlier this year, it’s been agreed not to pursue any further transfer of facilities management services and staff to Bristol Waste Company (BWC) at this time.
“All members of staff potentially affected by this decision have been informed and all relevant parties kept updated.” HR business partner James Brereton, who told HR committee members last month that the move was in doubt because Bristol Waste had yet not produced a business case to support it, told councillors in an email this week that council chiefs had called it off.
He wrote: “Following consideration of this exploratory work carried out by [workforce and change director] John Walsh and [head of facilities management] David Martin, I can confirm that [deputy mayor] Councillor [Craig] Cheney and [chief executive] Mike Jackson have agreed not to pursue any further transfer of Facilities Management services and staff to BWC at this time as we consider an internal approach to service delivery would offer greater benefits to the organisation, colleagues and service users.” The employees involved work in culture and creative industries, intermediate care, asset strategy, children’s homes, Redfield Lodge care home, and early intervention and targeted services.
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