There was a minor kerfuffle when it became known Joanne Roney, chief executive of the council, was at a property conference in Cannes when the bin strike began. A council spokesman was at pains to point out Ms Roney’s expenses were paid for by her hosts as she had a speaking slot. That they failed to mention was that, in January, the council paid Travelperk, a corporate travel company. £65,545.99. Was this to send some of its planning officers to Cannes for the conference? I asked but answer came there none.
Mind you, the city spent £3.2 million with Travelperk in the first two months of 2025, so I don’t suppose it matters much. It looks as if the council is running ahead of 2024 when, in the whole year, it forked out £15,149,095.38 almost all of it spent by the housing department.
Apparently, this isn’t for global junketing, it’s for accommodating the homeless though not necessarily cost-effectively.
NEXT: A nice little earner – the £91 million-worth of consultants.
Monday, April 28, 2025
Rattus Norvegicus
I recently whiled away a couple of idle hours studying Birmingham City Council’s ‘payments to suppliers over £500’ website and found a fund of fascinating information.
Alas, like Johnny Nash, I have found that, after perusing these spreadsheets, there are more questions than answers.
I have asked the council for some of these answers but so far, a week later, none has been forthcoming. I shall wait a little longer.
Meanwhile, though, for a bankrupt council with rats as big as cats because of the bin strike, it is interesting to note Birmingham spent £777,412 allowing 60 members of staff to take time off for trade union business (eight unions altogether, including the strikers of Unite).
It seems 46 of these people spent more than half their working day on union business. This is for the year 2023-24. The previous year, the cost was £667,293. In 2018-19 it was £472,666.
With everyone seeking a solution to the bin strike, surely one way of saving money would be to axe time off for union business. But then how would they plan the next strike?
I have asked the council for some of these answers but so far, a week later, none has been forthcoming. I shall wait a little longer.
Meanwhile, though, for a bankrupt council with rats as big as cats because of the bin strike, it is interesting to note Birmingham spent £777,412 allowing 60 members of staff to take time off for trade union business (eight unions altogether, including the strikers of Unite).
It seems 46 of these people spent more than half their working day on union business. This is for the year 2023-24. The previous year, the cost was £667,293. In 2018-19 it was £472,666.
With everyone seeking a solution to the bin strike, surely one way of saving money would be to axe time off for union business. But then how would they plan the next strike?
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