Concerns at how plans to move services - including bin collections - out of full council control in Middlesbrough are being handled have been expressed by unions.

Middlesbrough Councils executive approved yesterday a proposal to form a joint venture company (JVC) with a public sector partner - Norse, owned by Norfolk County Council.

The plans would affect 1,400 workers in environment, property and commercial services.

It is part of the councils Change Programme devised to deal with budget cuts but councillors have stressed that the move does not mean the services will be privatised.

Unison branch secretary Ian Campbell said unions were aware of plans under consideration but raised worries over Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallons call for it to be implemented before he leaves office in May.

Tony Parkinson, executive director of commercial and corporate services has said the process would normally take six months but could be done in six weeks with the appropriate level of resources.

Ian Campbell, Unison branch secretary, said: We understood that given the financial circumstances, what was being considered was the best option for the town and for the staff.

We believed that this idea was at its early stages of consideration and much more work was needed before there would be a final decision - that it was too early for details to be shared with us.

The apparent report of a need for this to be done before Mayor Mallons departure in May has come as a shock and we need further details from the employer to be able to make a more informed comment.

The services to be considered for inclusion are: building maintenance, building cleaning and caretaking, bus station management, security and CCTV, pest control, bereavement services, Ayresome Industries, school catering, Tees community equipment service, waste disposal contract management, environmental education and enforcement, dog wardens, refuse collection, green waste collection, kerbside recycling, area care (grounds maintenance and street cleaning), parks management and maintenance, cemetery and crematorium maintenance, burials, highways inspection, highways maintenance, winter maintenance, fleet maintenance, vehicle maintenance, strategic property management, commercial property management and valuations. Others may be added.

Read more:
Union expresses 'shock' at plans to develop new business model for Middlesbrough services

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