Southampton City Council Labour Group Leader Councillor Richard Williams has called on the Tory run authority to start talking to the trades unions in the dispute over cuts in pay as opposed to just making statements in the media.
Richard said “The Labour Group strongly sees the dispute between the Tory-administration and its staff as a management issue that needs to be progressed by dialogue. That’s why I urged the Chief Executive to support the union’s request for speedy talks at the conciliation service ACAS nearly two weeks ago. The date has now moved forward from June 21st to June 16th, but it is still not quick enough in my opinion.”
“I have called on both sides to show a bit of flexibility in resolving this dispute. Talks need to take place as soon as possible. From the union side I have obtained a total commitment to continue to protect any vulnerable child in the city regardless of the dispute. I have been re-assured that all staff members taking industrial action are continuing to protect children at risk as they do in their normal daily work. In response I am calling on the Conservatives to withdraw their threats of summary dismissal on any staff member who has not signed the new contracts cutting their terms and conditions whilst talks take place. Disappointingly the Tory-run council have rejected options of talks at ACAS that were possible for the 8th and 9th June because of “diary problems”.
“If Tory politicians in Southampton are serious about the protection of vulnerable children then their needs are more important than existing diary commitments. The unions have already shown they put health and safety above everything else when they immediately responded to a bin fire in Albion Towers last week and are ready to go ACAS within 24 hours.”
“The staff are dedicated professionals who want to find a negotiated way out of this problem. I am sure that if such a meeting of minds on the suspension of the summary dismissals whilst talks were held was offered by the Tory-run council, then progress could be made. I hope that Cllr. Moulton is as good as his word about having talks at ACAS and offers this sort of “half way house” this week.”
