Birmingham Council has pushed back against accusations of bullying after bin lorry drivers found their performance data pinned up on a staff room wall in a league table for everyone to see.
Workers union Unite claimed tachograph readings were being used to log driving time, speed, distance and other stats to closely track the HGV crews. It said this info was then turned into a league table at the Smithfield depot, ranking named drivers by their alleged infringements – something the union called a major GDPR breach.
According to Unite, the drivers – supplied by agency Job&Talent – were being hit with a “bullying tactic” that also served as a reminder they had no job security and could be dropped at any time.
The union also said the council had accepted it was a GDPR breach and confirmed Job&Talent workers on the refuse contract would begin strike action from 1 December over bullying, harassment and what it claimed were threats of blacklisting.
In a letter to the council, Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “This is information that should be confidential, not available for public viewing and certainly not used for the purpose of publicly shaming employees.
“I am certain that there is no provision within any council policy that allows for this to take place. Further, the council are in serious breach of GDPR regulations.”
The league table posted at the Smithfield depot (Picture from Motor Transport)
A Birmingham Council spokesperson said: “We strongly refute allegations of bullying. The purpose of the communication was about ongoing service improvements but we acknowledge that names should not have been published and the notice has been removed.
“Following an internal review, it is confirmed that this does not meet the criteria for notification to the Information Commissioner’s office. However, an overview of key performance indicators will continue to be shared to help drive improvement, which is standard practice.”
The council spokesperson added: “Our crews’ and contractors’ workloads are in line with industry standards, with crew performance monitored to ensure collection standards are met.
“Crews are supported throughout their employment and the management team work in partnership with the agency and the collection crews to jointly review targets.”
Job&Talent told Truck & Driver’s sister title, Motor Transport, that it had no involvement in creating or posting the league table.
Responding to claims of bullying and blacklisting, a Job&Talent spokesperson said: “We prioritise the rights, welfare, and safety of our workers and maintain regular communication to ensure they feel supported.
“Job&Talent takes any allegation concerning worker welfare and safety extremely seriously. We have no record or evidence of any incidents matching the descriptions provided.”
The spokesperson added: “We do not engage in or condone any form of blacklisting, and no worker is or would be denied employment opportunities on the basis of lawful participation in industrial action.
“Following an immediate investigation by Birmingham City Council, it has been confirmed that no blacklisting took place.”
