Birmingham City Council and Unite: Refuse Workers’ Pay Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Lord Scriven
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Birmingham City Council and Unite: Refuse Workers’ Pay
Lord Scriven Excerpts(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
We would certainly encourage all parties that can help with this dispute to get around the table and make sure that this is resolved. It is not in the interests of the people of Birmingham for this to carry on a day longer than it needs to.
Lord Scriven (LD)
My Lords, for two years the poor council tax payers of Birmingham have paid a 10% council tax rise and a 7.4% council tax rise but have not been able to get the basic service of having their bins emptied. What would the Minister say—other than that people need to get around the table—to those people in Birmingham to get the most basic of council services?
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
The noble Lord makes a point that I want to expand on. It is very important for Birmingham and the people of the West Midlands that the economy can be driven forward so that we can develop the potential that we know Birmingham has. Having this dispute hanging over both the council and the people of Birmingham is not helping that to take place. That is why I say that the sooner we can get this dispute resolved, the sooner we can start building the economy, the potential and the future for Birmingham that we know are there and waiting to happen.