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MP blames 'weak' waste contract for Kerbside-Sita dispute
CALDERDALE Council has been criticised for the way it drew up a contract to involve voluntary and community organisations in recycling.
Calder Valley MP Chris McCafferty said the document was to blame for the dispute between Kerbside Calderdale and the council's new refuse contractor, Sita UK.
"The contract is far too weak as it only 'seeks to involve' the voluntary and community sector in the this work.
"Government guidelines encourage local authorities to make special provisions for organisations providing supported employment opportunities, which Kerbside does extremely well, while providing an excellent service to its customers."
She was today raising her concerns at a meeting with the council's chief executive, Owen Williams.
Kerbside has responded to claims that Sita offered it the chance to work as a subcontractor providing the recycling service to all 90,000 homes in Calderdale.
Chief executive Paul Brannigan said Kerbside would have been expected to do the job "at cost" which, bearing in mind financial risks, would have been irresponsible.
"We submitted an offer within the deadline and were told it was not acceptable, so Sita said it would carry on without us."
Last Wednesday, Calderdale Council was told Sita had offered to hire all Kerbside workers on enhanced pay, which would have cost the firm an extra 100,000 a year.
"But at meetings with Sita on June 28 and July 21, Kerbside employees were told rates of pay would remain the same.
"Letters to some, but not all, Kerbside staff on July 24 do not state what the improved rate is."
Mr Brannigan said pay rates went up anyway this year and Sita would have faced a bigger pay bill regardless of Kerb-side's involvement.
"We were happy to do what we do now, to expand to the whole of Calderdale, but we could not accept loss-making work," he said.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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