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25
Sept
Bin workers consulted over four-day week in Harrogate district
North Yorkshire Council is looking to introduce a four-day week for bin workers in the Harrogate district.
Currently refuse collectors in the district work five days a week.
But the council is proposing to make staff work the same number of hours over a four-day rota.
It is part of the council's harmonisation agenda, which is seeing it standardise services across the county since it succeeded the old district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, last year.
Karl Battersby, the council's corporate director of environment, said:
We have undertaken extensive staff engagement across the county as we look to standardise the service offered to residents. In the consultation involving 500 staff, we received four responses.
The proposed changes would involve staff working the same number of hours from five days over four, in line with the Selby, Skipton, Richmond and Malton areas.
Throughout the process, including the recent staff consultation, feedback has been sought, listened to and action taken where appropriate.
Alongside this, we have engaged closely with the trade union, Unison, to help ensure we fully understand the individual impact of the proposal under consideration.
Public service union, Unison has been consulting with members about the proposed change.
A spokesperson for Unison North Yorkshire's local government branch said:
Consultation has been taking place throughout the county with our refuse collectors, we have been present at all the meetings.
There are different working practices in all the district / borough councils.
The consultation has now closed. We are awaiting feedback from our members and North Yorkshire Council. We will be consulting with our members to gauge their views.
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