New bins chief at eye of the storm
A NEW Birmingham bins chief has been named in a ‘small’ reshuffle of the Labour council’s cabinet amid the ongoing refuse dispute.
Cllr Brett O’Reilly vowed his first action as portfolio holder for clean streets, waste and recycling, would be to contact Howard Beckett, general secretary of Unite, to get the failing service ‘back on track’.
The Longbridge and West Heath ward member was quizzed on the current performance of the service minutes after his formal appointment at full council on Tuesday.
Previous bins chief Cllr Majid Mahmood resigned in January over the cabinet’s decision to take legal action against Unite which he branded as an ‘attack’ on the union.
Cllr O’Reilly stated the change from a four-day to a five-day working week last September – imposed by the Memorandum of Understanding to end the 2017 strike – could work.
He said: “Things were starting to improve. With any introduction of a new collection system there is going to be a limited amount of disruption which is not out of kilter with what I would expect to see in any large organisation.
“Where we have hit the buffers is the industrial action, the working to rule, which doesn’t benefit the citizens of Birmingham or anyone in this chamber. I would say the Memorandum of Understanding can work if there’s a willingness on both sides, it will work.
“I will be writing to Howard Beckett of Unite this afternoon to sit around the table, talk through what the issues are and get this back on track to reduce missed collections and improve the service for the citizens of Birmingham.”
Council leader Ian Ward also confirmed Cllr Tristan Chatfield would move across into the finances and resources portfolio vacating the social inclusion, community safety and equalities brief which is to be taken up by Cllr John Cotton.