Investigation into council is not the answer

I WAS saddened to hear confirmation of the rumours about the swingeing cuts in services that Birmingham residents are going to have to suffer in the coming months and years.

Yes, many councils throughout the UK have similar problems, and some, like Birmingham’s Council leader, John Cotton, blame central Government.

But Mr Cotton wants an independent inquiry into what has gone wrong.

If set up, that would create more work for expensive lawyers paid for by the taxpayer.

Yet Birmingham’s City Council knows what the problems are, namely not getting to grips with the law in relation to equal pay for its staff and coping with a disastrous new IT system.

All businesses nationwide have had to come to terms with the challenges and measuring of equal pay.

Such judgments are not easy, and much time has to be spent on job analysis to ensure that these complicated laws are complied with.

Birmingham City Council’s professional staff should have fully understood what was required as laid down in equality legislation, and that evaluation of each and every job was undertaken to ensure that rewards paid to staff complied with the law.

Patently this did not happen, hence the problems faced today, not only in verifying that equal rates are paid, but also quantifying the amount of compensation that has to be paid out to affected staff.

With regard to the Oracle IT system which has proved to be so very expensive, I accept that on the face of it, such problems were not envisaged as the system was, in effect, a “special” modified to suit the council’s specification.

However, as a simple business owner, surely the council’s officers drew up a specification for their needs, sent an enquiry round the trade, and ordered it from whom they thought was the best supplier.

They in turn would be required to deliver the system fully working, otherwise no payment of invoice.

So, no, I do not think an inquiry should take place, but council members, irrespective of political persuasion, should give consideration to major staff changes, and correct the situation as swiftly as possible so that the citizens of Birmingham can again enjoy the quality of service that they are going to be denied.