We’ve got nothing to hide over bin row, says chief Union votes for overtime ban over payments to workers
BIRMIGHAM’S bins chief has made an extraordinary public plea to his own leader to open up secret documents to avert Christmas industrial action by refuse collectors.
Councillor Majid Mahmood says increasingly bitter relations between the Unite union and the city council are in part due to his council’s failure to be ‘open and transparent’ and so allow mistrust to fester.
He has appealed to city council leader Ian Ward and officers to publish private documents to show there is nothing to hide.
He said: “At the end of the day the council made a payment to the GMB union using public money, so it is only right the public knows the sums involved and the reason for the payment.”
Cllr Mahmood, speaking exclusively to the Birmingham Post, also revealed that he and his family have endured abuse, including a verbal racist attack, from members of the public over the bins issue. One told him: “This is what happens when you put a **** in charge.”
“Although I expect criticism as a public servant, I find recent abuse directed at my family wholly unacceptable. I have been racially abused, which is also unacceptable. “There is no excuse for that at all. “This is getting out of hand and we need to stop it by being totally open and transparent.”
Cllr Mahmood is desperate to see off planned industrial action by refuse collectors, which is due to start on December 29.
The refuse collectors who are members of Unite voted overwhelmingly to work to rule and introduce other measures that will disrupt refuse collections in the weeks immediately after Christmas. They also say they have not ruled out strike action.
Their grievance is that Unite members were treated unfairly when the council agreed to make a payment to members of rival union GMB at the tail-end of last year’s strike.
The council and GMB both say the payment was made in settlement of a legal claim against the council for failing to negotiate with GMB members.
But the secrecy around the payment means Unite have concluded the payment was a ‘reward’ to GMB members for not striking. Details of the payment, including the amount of money involved, have never been made public. The transaction was agreed and paid using pr ivate del e gate d powers, and it is understood its terms were subject to a confidentiality agreement.
Cllr Mahmood is now calling for the minutes of meetings between the council and the GMB union to be made public, along with the legal advice and resulting agreement.
He said: “I was appointed to the Cabinet in May 2018. Despite the appointment I have not seen the minutes of meetings held between Birmingham City Council members and officers with GMB representatives and so cannot comment on the detail.
“I have been advised that an agreement was made pursuant to legal advice. I have not seen the legal advice. I learn that the GMB does not welcome suggestions that the payment amounts to payment for not striking.
“It would... be in everyone’s interests for the minutes of the CouncilGMB meetings, the advice and ensuing agreement to be made public. The publication would be consistent to Section 13 of the council’s constitution.”