Response from mayor re Blacklisting

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MEMBER FORUM – 20 JANUARY 2015 GRN. QUESTION 6
Question(s) to the Mayor from Councillor Fodor
Subject: BLACKLISTING
Could the mayor please say what actions have been taken to implement the
'Blacklisting motion (shown below) agreed by full council on 10th September
2013?
City Council is deeply concerned by revelations that major companies have been involved in
blacklisting in order to deny employment to workers who have engaged in trade union
activity, such as reporting breaches of health and safety regulations.
The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) found that a blacklist of over 3,200 construction
workers was maintained, and their personal details traded for profit. This blacklist was used
by over 40 companies and included information about workers personal relationships, trade
union activity and employment history.
Many of the workers who were blacklisted for reporting breaches of health and safety work in
the construction industry which employs 5% of all workers in Britain but produces 22% of
fatal injuries.
The ICO list of companies which used the blacklist service includes companies contracted
by Bristol City Council. The use of such blacklists is unacceptable and cannot be condoned,
having a potentially negative impact on the employment rights of Bristol’s 8,000+
construction workers.
Several local authorities across the country have passed resolutions to refuse to accept
tenders for publicly funded contracts from companies that use blacklisting. It is time that
Bristol joined them.
This Council resolves, wherever lawful to do so to:
- exclude companies involved in blacklisting of workers from securing future Council
contracts.
- require companies tendering for contracts to demonstrate that they are not using blacklists.
- require that companies that tender for Council contracts demonstrate that they have
processes in place to encourage the reporting by workers of workplace concerns, particularly
in respect of health, safety and welfare.
- seek, where this can be done without financial or legal penalty, to terminate contracts
where companies are found to be using blacklists.
- examine existing contracts with any of the companies listed by the ICO and ask for
reassurances that the company uses no form of blacklisting to inform their employment
decisions.

Reply:
Since the Blacklisting’ motion of the 10th September 2013 the Council has introduce a
vetting process in all appropriate procurement projects at the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire stage ensuring that companies tendering for Council contracts demonstrate that they are not using blacklists.

In addition, a termination clause is incorporated into appropriate contracts to allow the
Council to cancel the contract if it is discovered that a company is or has used a blacklist.

Supporting Lower Lodge (in Bower Ashton)

I have just submitted a statement supporting the Lower Lodge proposals to 'do up' the lodge and turn it into an asset, rather than a crumbly old ruin. Virtually all the money has been raised through applications to trusts....


As one of the ward councillors for Southville ward, and also, as a recent member of the Bristol Building Preservation Trust, I urge you to support this project.

Your report says it all:

The Lower Lodge, a grade II* listed building, has been derelict and deteriorating
for many years due to its location next to the busy A 370 and its situation within
the boundary of Ashton Park School. It is included on the English Heritage
Buildings at Risk List. The Lodge is owned by Bristol City Council (BCC).


This proposal has received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and other
funders with £1,027k of the required £1,110k funds now secured.


I was at a presentation at one of the Trust meetings of the fantastic work that has been done by officers, board members and others to raise the vast majority of funding  towards the total needed, and have been very impressed with the dedication of those involved.

Anyone who travels down the A370 could easily have missed the sad-looking building covered with sheets on the right-hand side as you leave Bristol. Well, by supporting this project you can turn it into an asset of which the city can be proud.

Letter to the editor - Green capital

20 Beauley Road
Southville
Bristol

2015 has arrived and Bristol is now the European Green Capital. We have just seen the launch event at the Create Centre.

As leader of the Green group of councillors, I welcome European Green Capital Year and look forward to the city taking the opportunities it presents.

Politicians of different groups have taken forward the European Green Capital project over a period of years. They have also endeavoured to make Bristol a 'greener' and more environmentally sustainable city. Far more importantly, many residents, businesses, community groups and charities have worked for many years to achieve the same aims. Many of these will be involved in the year itself, and we earnestly hope that resources can be found to involve others.

Greens understand that the award of 'European Green capital' is in part appreciation of the good work that has gone on before, but more importantly, a statement of intent. We recognise that much more needs to be done.

'European Green Capital 2015' is therefore a step on the 'cycle path' to creating a truly sustainable city which benefits all residents. I, and I am sure my fellow Green councillors  are committed to the year itself, and its role in creating a long term benefit for Bristol, and we will work to help ensure that the city council and our party contributes to making the most of this opportunity for Bristol.

Councillor Charlie Bolton
Leader
Green Group
Bristol City Councillor

Bring rail back under public control - press release

From: Charlie Bolton
Sent: 15 December 2014 14:55
Subject: Press release: Greens call on local MPs to support bill to bring railways into public hands

Greens call on local MPs to support bill to bring railways into public hands

Bristol Greens have called on local MPs to support a private members bill to bring railways back under national control. Green MP Caroline Lucas has introduced a private members bill under the rail network would be brought back into public ownership step by step.

When franchises come up for expiry, or private companies break the terms of their franchise agreements, they would revert to the control of a public body.

A report published last year by Transport for Quality of Life found that the private sector has not delivered the innovation and investment that it promised, that the costs of back-room staff have massively increased, and that the cost of train travel has risen by 23% since privatisation. It estimated that £1.2bn is being lost each year as a result of fragmentation and privatisation.*

Tony Dyer, Green parliamentary candidate for Bristol South said

‘The East Coast franchise delivered £200m to the public purse last year. We need to get back to the idea that railways are a service to be run for the benefit of people, not simply something to profit a shareholder.’

Darren Hall, Green parliamentary candidate for Bristol West

‘We need a new vision and the political will to tackle transport issues head on. Bristol is really lucky to have railway lines criss-crossing the city. The trouble is that some of it is under utilised or in the case of the Portishead line not used for passengers at all, whilst other bits are crammed full to bursting point. However, there is no incentive for the big private companies to bother with local rail, and yet it is a very simple solution to a lot of Bristol’s road congestion and air quality problems. If the rail system was run with customers in mind, with profits being reinvested in the system, Bristol could take a hugely important step towards providing a public transport system that is fit for the future. ‘

Green councillor Charlie Bolton has submitted a motion to Bristol City Council calling on MPs to back the rail bill, although it is unlikely to be taken.

“The irony is that some of the biggest profiteers are the state-owned rail companies of our European neighbours. Taxpayers’ money that should be reinvested into services is ending up in the hands of overseas shareholders. By taking back individual franchises when they expire, the Government could save over £1 billion a year every year.

*Notes to editors

1) View Lucas’ Private Member’s Bill at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2013-2014/0081/14081.pdf. The second reading will take place on 9^th January 2015.

2) Rebuilding Rail Report by Transport for Quality of Life:

http://www.transportforqualityoflife.com/u/files/120630_Rebuilding_Rail_Final_Report_print_version.pdf

3) Green Party motion to full council
BRING BACK RAILWAYS INTO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

Council welcomes the private members bill produced by Caroline Lucas which will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on 9^th January 2015.

Council notes that RMT research shows that

* £1.2bn a year is squandered through the fragmentation, inefficiency and cash leaking out of the service in the form of profits and dividends as a result of rail privatisation.

* This would correspond to an 18% reduction in rail ticket prices.

Action for Rail tell us

* Since privatisation, more than £11 billion of public funds has been misspent: on debt write-offs, dividend payments to private investors, fragmentation costs including profit margins of complex tiers of contractors and sub-contractors, and higher interest payments in order to keep Network Rail’s debts off the government balance sheet.

The Bill will require the Secretary of State to assume control of passenger rail franchises when they come up for renewal.

Council calls on the Mayor to contact Bristol’s local MPs to demand that they attend the second reading and support the bill and requests devolved powers over local rail to a Greater Bristol region.

Charlie Bolton

Councillor for Southville ward

Green Party

Joint Statement to full council on Faithspace

Faithspace, Stackpool Road, Southville

As Labour and Green Party councillors for Southville, we jointly submit the following statement.

Faithspace is the former Methodist Church on Stackpool Road. It lies between the Southville Centre and Southville Primary School.

It has been a community venue for as long as people can remember. Users, however, have recently been stopped from using it, and the venue has recently been boarded up.

There has been a significant increase in the population of the Southville ward over recent years. This has resulted in an increase in the pressure on local resources and infrastructure. For example, there is a serious shortage in nursery provision in the area.

There is significant local concern over the closure of Faithspace. It has been registered as a 'Asset of Community Value'. There is a local petition in support of its retention as a community venue.

We have no knowledge of plans for its future. However, there has to be a possibility that it will lost as a community venue.  We believe we simply cannot afford to lose community venues in our local area. We urge the council and the mayor to take whatever actions it can to help ensure it remains as a venue for the benefit of the community of Southville as a whole. In particular, we ask that the council do all it can to protect its current planning use

Sean Beynon (Labour Party Councillor, Southville)

Charlie Bolton (Green Party Councillor, Southville)

Southville RPS revised plans

Green Party Cycling policy in pictures