Council cash scandal sparks ‘Nazi’ claim
Thursday, 31 July 2008
'Holding a gun to the head of staff to make them follow orders will cause further friction' - MLA
Council cash scandal sparks 'Nazi' claim
A NEW finance row involving Antrim Borough Council has emerged, after refuse collectors were apparently forced to remain in work for a full day on time-and-a-half pay, despite all collections having been completed by early afternoon.
The latest scandal for the cash-strapped local authority occurred this month, when binmen were ordered to come into work on Friday July 18 and the following day, in order to provide the service for the Monday and Tuesday public holidays earlier that week.
This arrangement had been thrashed out earlier this year as part of a deal to prevent strike action by staff upset at being told to work on the holiday days, and reluctant council officials agreed that before calling in the full work force, 'volunteers' would be sought to collect the bins on an overtime basis.
However, an insufficient number of binmen volunteered for the job, forcing the council to call in all refuse staff to carry out collections. With a full work force doing the rounds at the height of the holiday season, staff were able to complete the rounds by early afternoon on the Saturday.
Yet the Antrim Guardian has learned that staff were ordered to stay in work until the usual 5pm finish at time-and-a-half pay, despite offering to leave and only be paid for the hours they worked. The employees were also threatened with the sack if they did not attend.
One local councillor who has called for thriftier practices by the Council is the DUP's Trevor Clarke, who said he was 'outraged' when briefed about the situation last night.
Mr Clarke also slammed the 'Nazi-style government' of the council, who explicitly warned staff they could face 'potential dismissal' if they did not attend.
“This is a ridiculous situation, as we are trying to save money in this council, yet why are the refuse collectors being forced to stay even though they had finished their work?" he fumed.
“Surely it's common sense that if all the work is done, then the staff should be allowed to go home, instead of waiting around for several hours on time-and-a-half pay. What a waste of money."
The Guardian received copies of a memo sent to refuse staff reminding them of their holiday arrangements, and upon hearing the content of the text, Mr Clarke appeared shocked at the 'heavy-handed' style used to convey the message.
The memo states: "Insufficient volunteers have made themselves available to work on the above dates, and therefore you are required to work on 18 and 19 July. Council will conduct disciplinary investigations, up to and including potential dismissal, if you do not attend work on these dates."
After the Guardian read the memo to Mr Clarke he said: I'm shocked that the letter should be worded in such a way. This seems incredibly heavy-handed, and seems more like a Nazi-style of government than a local authority.
“Holding a gun to the head of staff to make them follow orders is extreme, and will only serve to cause further friction between the refuse staff and the council.
“I wonder now how much other money has been wasted like this, especially in a year where we are forced to make cutbacks to save money on rates."
A spokesperson for Antrim Borough Council said: "Throughout the year, following the completion of bin collection routes, the Waste Management operatives are allocated other duties within the cleansing section, to be carried out until the end of their working day.
“Should any employees have a concern regarding their current terms and conditions of employment, procedures are in place for them to discuss this with their manager."
