100 signatures reached
To: Doncaster Council Chief Executive Jo Miller, Doncaster Councillors, Mayor Ros Jones
Bring Runwood care homes and Sita Suez bin collections back under local authority control
Doncaster Trades Council call upon the residents of Doncaster to demand the council bring the care homes currently operated by Runwood Homes and the waste collection and recycling services operated by Sita Suez be brought back into local authority control.
Why is this important?
Two separate issues in two different services have arisen in the last few weeks and months with one single common cause of the problem – private companies running vital public services.
Runwood Homes, a company who made £14 million profit out of care provision last year run six ex-council care homes across the borough, after the council gave them the contract two years ago. The period of pay protection is due to end and Runwood are looking to tear up existing contracts and re-engage workers on inferior terms and conditions, including cuts of up to £900 a month in pay and cuts to holiday and sickness provision. We believe this could ultimately lead to inferior care to our elderly residents which is unacceptable.
Sita Suez have run the waste and recycling services contract for Doncaster Council for a number of years and have a history of poor industrial relations at the Doncaster depot which has led to a number of disputes, meaning bins left unemptied across the borough. Doncaster Council have recently completed the tendering process for this service and has been won again by Sita Suez for 8 further years. Two weeks into this contract, Sita Suez have announces 112 redundancies in the service along with sweeping changes in how the service is to be delivered going forward including;
• Bin collections dropping from 5 days a week to 4 days a week
• An aging workforce having to work 10 hours a day
• Potentially dangerous practices with HGV drivers having to operate in residential streets for longer, when our kids and grandkids might be out playing after school.
There is no economic or social rationale for private companies to run public services. In other local authorities services are being brought back in house for the very reason private companies generally provide a poorer more costly service, for the simple reason that private companies have to make profit to appease shareholders. Doncaster Trades Council say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The last straw should have been the disastrous decision to allow private equity owned Care UK to run services to care for our adult population who require care for severe learning disabilities. We cannot take this any longer. Sign the petition to the elected Mayor, Councillors and MPs and Chief Executive of Doncaster Council to demand that the council cancel contracts with both Runwood Homes and Sita Suez to protect, local services, jobs and terms and conditions of workers in both services
Runwood Homes, a company who made £14 million profit out of care provision last year run six ex-council care homes across the borough, after the council gave them the contract two years ago. The period of pay protection is due to end and Runwood are looking to tear up existing contracts and re-engage workers on inferior terms and conditions, including cuts of up to £900 a month in pay and cuts to holiday and sickness provision. We believe this could ultimately lead to inferior care to our elderly residents which is unacceptable.
Sita Suez have run the waste and recycling services contract for Doncaster Council for a number of years and have a history of poor industrial relations at the Doncaster depot which has led to a number of disputes, meaning bins left unemptied across the borough. Doncaster Council have recently completed the tendering process for this service and has been won again by Sita Suez for 8 further years. Two weeks into this contract, Sita Suez have announces 112 redundancies in the service along with sweeping changes in how the service is to be delivered going forward including;
• Bin collections dropping from 5 days a week to 4 days a week
• An aging workforce having to work 10 hours a day
• Potentially dangerous practices with HGV drivers having to operate in residential streets for longer, when our kids and grandkids might be out playing after school.
There is no economic or social rationale for private companies to run public services. In other local authorities services are being brought back in house for the very reason private companies generally provide a poorer more costly service, for the simple reason that private companies have to make profit to appease shareholders. Doncaster Trades Council say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The last straw should have been the disastrous decision to allow private equity owned Care UK to run services to care for our adult population who require care for severe learning disabilities. We cannot take this any longer. Sign the petition to the elected Mayor, Councillors and MPs and Chief Executive of Doncaster Council to demand that the council cancel contracts with both Runwood Homes and Sita Suez to protect, local services, jobs and terms and conditions of workers in both services
