Birmingham: Has taken the scalp of Cllr John Clancy. Some might be forgiven for thinking, it’s all to the total benefit of Cllr Lisa Trickett and Stella Manzie! None the less the Labour-run council which passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Clancy, can purblindly and without the slightest humor state, a swift end to the dispute was its “top priority”.
Unite’s assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said Mr Clancy “made a mistake by claiming there was no deal in place when everybody knew there was and ACAS recorded the deal”. “I’m just sorry the whole situation has got to this. He did an honorable deal and, I believe we would have had a settlement long ago and he made a crucial error.”
Mr Beckett also stated interim chief executive of Birmingham City Council, Stella Manzie, “must follow in John Clancy’s footsteps and resign”. (No chance she was brought in by the Labour cabinet to do exactly what she is doing). “Stella Manzie has twice blocked Unite lawyers meeting council lawyers to discuss the fictitious equal pay concerns she is using to scupper the agreement that Unite reached with the council at ACAS. “John Clancy in his statement has made it clear this agreement was reached with the full knowledge of the cabinet.”
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell who is rumored to put in an unlikely Birmingham appearance at Sunday’s Demo, spoke In Brighton yesterday (11th Sept) at a rally in Brighton organised to coincide with the TUC’s annual congress, apparently backing the refuse workers strike. He said they were taking action against austerity, not the Labour-run city council, and stated the council should resume talks “to resolve this dispute immediately.” “Our advice to Labour councilors wherever, when they go into dispute, is to get around the table. “And insist on the fact that it isn’t chief executives or officers of the council that determine the future of a council’s policies, but the councilors themselves.
Brilliant advice John! Slight flaw being what I’ve already pointed out, Ms Manzie is a not easy to get rid of paid official, brought in by the Labour council cabinet as a fixer, to do exactly what she is doing This is the same cabinet that authorized an email to be sent to all staff, that is…. social workers, librarians, park rangers and thousands of other council workers offering to pay them to scab, as drivers @ £10.29 per hour or bin loaders @ £8.30 per hour
Sunday 17th Sept. 11am. Demonstration called by UNITE the Union. to support the bin strikers, Victoria Square.
Wednesday 20th Sept. 6pm, Birmingham Midlands Institute, Margaret Street (behind the council house).
Bins Striker will be joining the platform of a public meeting on the public sector pay cap. Speakers: Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary and Len McCluskey UNITE general secretary.
