DRAMA AT THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING

Last Wednesday a number of council workers, mostly who work to clean up and dispose of our household waste and litter, turned up on the steps of the Town Hall and later attended the Meeting in the Council chamber. They had come to listen to the politicians.

With the continuing disruption of refuse collections, the Labour Group, through Cllr Doyle asked searching questions to the Lib Dem / Tory alliance.

What's the current state of the emptying of roadside bins? Cllr. Kavanagh said there was "very little disturbance...!!!" Tell that to the residents of Rainhill.

How many brown bin rounds are there and how late are these rounds now running? Cllr. Kavanagh said there were 60 rounds and "only 2 were not being completed." Oh really...!!!

The disruption centres around the Phase 1 pay agreement of protected allowances that certain employees of the council had agreed with the then Labour controlled council which was to continue until Feb 2009. Under the present regime, that agreement has been broken and council employees will lose the protection from Feb 2008.

Cllr Rimmer asked What's the number of employees served with Formal Consultation - Proposals to Mitigate Removal of Protected Allowance? Cllr Spencer said that number was 136.

Number of employees who had accepted the offer? Cllr Spencer said 4.

Number of employees affected by Revision due to Enhancement? Cllr Spencer said nil.

Number of employees remaining with potential loss of earnings? Cllr Spencer said 133

Cllr Spencer then stated that the council had a good working relationship with its employees. I looked round to the responses of the dozen or so workers who had attended to council meeting, I don't believe they agreed...!!!


REPORT FROM THE INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL

This report was submitted by the council with the following recommendations:

(1) A new Special Responsibility Allowances of £4,527 be given to Chairpersons of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels - all held by Labour councillors.

(2) Special Responsibility Allowance of £4,527 - raised from the present £714 - for the Council's representative on the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority - currently a Lib Dem councillor.

The Labour Group made an amendment to SCUPPER the increases - Cllr Rimmer stated that her group would not be part of increased allowances to Labour members, whilst the council were in the process of taking money off loyal council workers.

posted by Cllr. Steve Glover at 1:50 pm