Councillor Jack Scott (pictured right) has agreed to stand down from his role as Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Streetscene at Sheffield City Council, following ‘an issue’ relating to the recent industrial dispute involving the city’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).
Staff working at five recycling centres in Sheffield first went on strike on 10 October following a dispute over pay, facilities, and site management.
Industrial action background
Workers employed by the Green Company – a subcontractor to waste management firm Veolia, which manages Sheffield City Council’s recycling sites – that are also GMB members (a union that represents staff employed by contractors working for the public sector), then went on continuous strike until 1 November after talks to secure an agreement on premium pay for weekend and overtime working, on welfare facilities, and on the behaviour of the senior managers on the contract, failed.
According to GMB, workers have been unable to secure premium pay, despite ‘substantial sums’ of money being paid by the charity that owns the Green Company, Salvaire, to another company, Roughly Translated Ltd, which is owned by Chair of Green Company board and Managing Director of Roughly Translated, Martine Laffan-Butler.
Speaking in October, Peter Davies, GMB Regional Officer, said: "If there is enough money around for the chair of the charity, directors, non-executive directors and still loads left over to gift to charities not in Sheffield, then where is the premium rate, toilets and showers? And why on earth are centres ever closed?
"Questions have been asked as to whether value for money is being achieved on this publicly-funded contract. GMB have put questions to the charity that owns Greens, to Councillor Jack Scott and to Veolia. To date no one seems to want to answer these questions."
Councillor Dunn to take over
Following this industrial action, it was announced yesterday (18 November), that Scott had ‘agreed to stand down’ from his cabinet position (however, he continues to represent his ward, Arbourthorne, on the council), due to ‘an issue’.
Sheffield City Council has said that as the details of the issue are ‘currently subject to further investigations’, no further details can be disclosed at this stage.
Jayne Dunn, councillor for the ward of Broomhill, has left her role as Cabinet Assistant for the Health, Care and Independent Living to take up the role of Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Streetscene. As such, she will take over responsibility for the waste management service, road safety, and the environment.
Councillor Dunn said: “It is a privilege to be asked to take on this role and I am committed to making sure that we address the problems with Sheffield’s roads and make sure the Streets Ahead programme makes the difference across the city.”
Read more about the Sheffield GMB strikes.
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