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.
