Both unionised and non-unionised staff refused to cross picket lines at neighbourhood offices, libraries, social services departments, day centres, and residential homes. According to Unison’s single status co-ordinator, Mark Rose, at 6 o’clock this morning there were around 40 people on the picket at the Lifford Lane environmental services depot. He added that management had managed to sneak out 3 bin wagons, using largely agency staff.

The joint unions involved in this dispute have already written to the employment agencies warning them that they will be breaking the Employment Agencies Act 1973, if their workers cover for strikers. Rose also claimed that Bromford Neighbourhood office was closed, but unfortunately one or two housing staff did sneak in through the emergency exit. He said that Mirfield Neighbourhood Office was also closed, but a few housing staff crossed a very good picket manned mainly by Housing Officers who aren’t actually losing through the process.

Back in November workers were given 90 days notice and initially most staff refused to sign their ‘new contracts’. Since then, Birmingham City Council have sent out 3 threatening letters demanding staff sign these ‘new contracts’. However, only 60% of the council’s workforce, have signed these ‘new contracts’.

The ‘new contract’ has been described as ‘flexible’ by the City Council, but the only flexibility is in the employer’s favour. This will make it easier for staff to be forced to work 5 days out of every 7. It also includes performance related pay, that the Council say will save money, but it means that most people will be stuck at the bottom of their grades however well, they perform. Even the CBI, the bosses union, state this type of scheme is disastrous.

There are 7 bands in the new pay structure. Other local authorities when implementing ‘single status’ have created a 12 band structure. Other large local authorities have still yet to implement ‘single status’, but look set to follow Birmingham’s lead if they get away with this attack on workers. The 7 band structure means the bands are very large. All staff had their jobs evaluated, apart from senior managers of course. The evaluation scheme was union approved, however, Birmingham City Council hasn't put extra money into the implementation of the scheme.

‘Single Status’ was supposed to create a more equitable pay structure, particularly for women. In fact, it was meant to finally implement the long overdue Equal Pay Act of 1972. Many low paid women, such as home carers, have already been paid lump sums, sometimes as much as £32,000 in recognition of 6 years back-pay. The unions are still pursuing equal pay claims, and these could potentially net some women employees up to £64,000. The money to pay these women was taken from the pay structure as a whole and means that other workers have lost out. This isn’t just a matter of better paid men, as in fact more women have lost money.

In addition, the City Council state that they have brought in the pay structure with the ‘least disruption’. This means that workers whose pay has been evaluated higher will only rise to the bottom of a pay band, even if their evaluated score was at the very top of that pay band. Whereas staff whose pay has been cut, will only descend to the top of a lower pay band, even if their score was at the bottom of that pay band. This has perpetuated unequal pay. So for instance, a cook whose pay should be over £17,000 is at the bottom of band 2 and will actually be paid over £3,000 less.

Birmingham City Council have also abolished bonuses, this is particularly relevant for Birmingham’s binmen who under the scheme are due to lose around £12,000. Knowing that the binmen were also taking part in strike action, the City Council attempted to buy them off outside of the pay band structure with a last minute deal before the previous strike. The binmen refused this offer, and of course, this issue has been very divisive for staff, and the devious Council Executives have exploited this.

It could be said that all of the City Council’s policies and plans are driven by privatisation. This is part of the Labour Government’s neo-liberal agenda. Birmingham City Council are now in a ‘partnership’ with a massive corporation called Capita, which workers refer to as ‘Crapita’. This company already partly runs a lot of the city through ‘Service Birmingham’. Their plans, which are referred to as ‘business transformation’ are likely to decimate social and local services, as they are cutting millions from budgets to pay Capita.