Kirklees Council staff left with no work because of outsourcing

Aug 14 2010 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

COUNCIL designers are sitting idly at their desks as work is outsourced to private companies, it is claimed.

A trade unionist has criticised Kirklees Council for sending out jobs which could be done in-house.

Yesterday Mick Ryan of Kirklees Unison said: “There are 15 to 20 designers who are struggling for work, but the way it’s going, it will soon be all 50 of them.”

Mr Ryan blamed the council for outsourcing major projects such as the refurbishment of Dewsbury Town Hall.

He said: “Currently around 10% of the design work, about £700,000, has been outsourced, but the council wants to run the service down further.

“There is no evidence that external providers deliver a better quality or a more cost-effective service than in-house designers.

“There seems no logic to continuing to outsource while paying staff to do nothing – yet some council departments appear determined to outsource no matter what the cost.”