Commenting on Bolsover District Council’s decision to bring the services and staff of its wholly owned Dragonfly companies back under direct local authority control, UNISON East Midlands regional organiser Dave Ratchford said today (Tuesday):
“At a time when many local authorities are outsourcing problems, Bolsover District Council has chosen to tackle them head on.
“This is the right thing for residents and staff. It’ll help restore accountability, protect local jobs, and ensure vital construction and repair work is carried out for the community, not private profit.
“But there’s still work to do. Major changes like this can be unsettling for staff. It’s vital the council continues to work with unions every step of the way.”
Notes to editors:
– Bolsover District Council formally agreed to bring the services and staff of both Dragonfly companies back in house during a meeting of its executive yesterday (Monday 28 July).
– An independent review of the council’s wholly-owned Dragonfly companies found concerns about governance arrangements, potential conflicts of interest, value for money and effective working relationships. A copy of that report is available here.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy.