Sandwell Council slammed over new staff parking charge

The workers currently do not have to pay to leave their cars parked at the main council house off West Bromwich Street, Oldbury.

But now hundreds of employees face having to pay £4 a day or up to £240 a year, with union officials blasting the authority's plans.

A petition has been launched by public sector union UNISON for staff working in Oldbury who oppose the plan to charge them to park their cars.

However, council leader Darren Cooper said the authority was 'damned if we do and damned if we don't' and wanted to standardise off-street parking charges across the borough.

Tony Barnsley, joint branch secretary for Sandwell UNISON, claimed up to 1,000 staff could be affected.

He said: "In the last five years our members have had their car allowances removed completely, mileage rates reduced, and have had an effective pay cut of 20 per cent.

"These proposed car parking charges are seen by our members as a further cut in pay that the council is choosing to impose regardless of how little they earn.

"The fact directors will pay the same as cleaners is seen as unfair by our members."

Off-street parking charges across the borough would be set at 40p an hour under the new proposals due to be discussed by the council's cabinet.

The new charges would come into effect as soon as possible in the new financial year.

Council leader Darren Cooper said: "We're having to make very difficult decisions.

"What I wanted to do was have a more balanced approach to car parking.

"I fully appreciate that staff haven't had a pay rise in the past few years, but the bottom line is some of these services have got to wash their own face.

"This is not an attack on staff.

"Would we be doing this if we didn't face the cuts we're facing? We wouldn't.

"It's an impossible choice for us - we're doing all we can to protect front line services that are most important to people.

"We're damned if we do and damned if we don't."