Council forced into delay on sacking 4,000 workers this Easter

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Tower Hamlets Council are delaying their plans to sack and rehire 4,000 workers on ‘worse’ contracts this Easter Sunday.

Council staff had rightly suspended strike action against the move in order to support the community during the Covid-19 crisis, but the council had been pushing ahead until it announced a delay to the plans yesterday, the Morning Star reported.

Social workers, housing and homelessness support, youth services, drug and alcohol services, refuse collectors and street cleaners are among those who could be affected by the new contracts.

Announcing the suspension of its strikes, public service union Unison had urged Tower Hamlets to delay the new contracts, which were to be implemented on April 13, which was initially refused.

A spokesperson from Tower Hamlets Council said yesterday: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the council and our staff as we focus on delivering critical services and supporting our vulnerable residents.

“As a result, we have decided to delay the implementation of Tower Rewards until early summer to give staff more time to consider their new contract.”

Tower Hamlets first proposed the Tower Rewards scheme in early 2019.

The borough’s Labour parties and local MP Apsana Begum also opposed the plans.

Tower Hamlets Unison branch secretary John McLoughlin said that it had been “incomprehensible” that a Labour council could consider the move at a time of national crisis.