ICT staff at the London Borough of Newham are currently taking part in a strike ballot over the council’s plan to outsource the service.
The council, however, has disputed the union's interpretation of the nature of its plans, saying it is aiming to adopt a fully outsourced service.
Trade union Unite has said its members in the ICT department are voting on potential strike action over the autumn, and claimed the plan for outsourcing will put jobs at risk and endanger residents’ data.
This has followed the release of a previously withheld document reporting on plans for the department.
The union said the main issue is lack of resources, with no ICT recruitment having taken place at Newham since 2012, and that there are currently around 45 full time staff and a number of posts being covered by contractors.
The current business case outlines a staffing capacity of around 130 to deliver the aspirations of Newham, and it has indicated it will outsource the service as it is unable to attract staff because its pay and conditions are “poorer than elsewhere”.
This goes against the trend of local authorities having stopped outsourcing and even returned ICT services in-house over recent years.
Beggars belief
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “That a Labour council should seek to privatise council workers beggars belief. Outsourcing programmes follow the same pattern time and time again – broken promises of cost savings while services deteriorate, and staff pay and conditions are subject to endless cuts.
“While most councils have begun to see sense, Newham has decided to embark on this catastrophic plan. Our members will fight tooth and nail to oppose such madness and have the full backing of their union in this dispute.”
The union also said it has serious concerns over the safety of any data handed over to private companies in an outsourcing programme. These included that it could end up in the hands of foreign companies that are subject to different data governance regulations.
Council response
In response, a Newham Council spokesperson said: “In response to the recent Unite press release, we would like to clarify that the proposal mentioned is not the one currently under consideration.
"Instead, we are exploring a hybrid model for the service, which is still under discussion. No final decisions have been made, and there is significant work ahead before any firm conclusions are reached.
“We want to assure residents that keeping their data safe and secure is of paramount importance to us. Should any changes to the service proceed, all necessary safeguarding measures would be put in place.”
The ballot opened on 7 October and closes on 29 October. If successful, industrial action is likely to take place later this autumn.
Amended midday 15.10.24 after receiving response from Newham Council
