THE rights of staff employed by council contractor Balfour Beatty have been “ripped up and thrown in the bin” claims Wiltshire’s Liberal Democrats.
This comes after the company informed unions they were no longer welcome, and that in future they would negotiate with staff internally and not honour an agreement previously in place with the council. 300 workers who transferred to Balfour Beatty after they were awarded the £25 million contract last June have as a result lost collective bargaining power and vital support.
Cllr Jon Hubbard, leader of the Wiltshire Liberal Democrats said, “This is simply outrageous. Staff should have the right to choose whether they are represented by a union and not have the choice taken away from them at the whim of contractors.
“The Conservative administration’s policy of privatising out council services has meant that the rights of Council staff are being stripped away. This will severely damage the support staff get when it comes to negotiations over pay and conditions.
“By denying their right to be represented by a union Balfour Beatty, and indeed the Conservative administration in County Hall, are saying they do not care about the voices and concerns of staff working for and on behalf of the council.”
