Andy Richards, Convenor -Brighton and Hove Council. COUNCIL TAX and Benefit workers in Labour-controlled Brighton and Hove Council have reacted with deep anger to a proposal to privatise the service. They have voted unanımously for an industrial action ballot if the proposal is not scrapped.
For over a year Brighton and Hove, as "Best Valuc" pilot authority, has been working with three other nearby councils on increasing joint working to save money. The ultimate aim was to create a joint processing centre. All along we were assured that we would remain local government employees in a public sector organIsauos.
Turn-around
Just a few weeks ago there was a sudden turnaround and it was proposed that the joint centre would be run by a company which would be controlled by Capita, a firm long regarded by UNISON members as a bad employer running poor services.
It is also proposed that the joint service be relocated to Falmer, on the outskirts of Brighton, and be run as a call centre.
There has been no consultation with what Best Value jargon calls the 'stakeholders' (the staff and the service users); despite this being supposedly a requirement of the Best Value process. Even mOSi members of the Labour group on the council did not know about this until we told them.
Council leader Steve (Lord) Bassam, actually works as a consultant for Capita. He claims to have recently resigned, but the employment is still listed in the House of Lords Register of Interests!
The workers held meeting immediately (practically all 200 attended), and launched a campaign against the proposals. We have lobbied the councillors, leafleted the town and built support from other members of our branch and other trade unionists in the town. The offices are festooned with anti-Capita posters.
Regrettably the branches in the other three councils, Lewes, Tandridge and Wealden, offering no resistance, but we will try to maintain contact with staff in those authorities who we know to be deeply unhappy with these proposals.
We have done research on Capita and have uncovered an horrific tale of poorly-run services with huge delays in benefit payments and contracts not being renewed because Capita's services have actually cost more and been less efficient than the in-house service.
We have the support of a number of Labour councillors who are angry that they have been left in the dark over this proposal and we hope that there will be at least some opposition in Council. but it that is not enough to stop it we are ready to strike to protect this vital public service.
This proposal represents the largest contract of its kind ever put together, and it is in keeping with New Labour's desire to regionalise If we lose, benetits processing. other public sector workers had hatter watch nut! For more information and messages of support, phone Andy Richards on 01273-291799 or 01273 - 416566.