Bristol City Council’s Estate Management Team of around 60 staff working in Landlord Services are going on strike after a union ballot that received a 70 per cent response rate and a 90 per cent vote for strike action.

The main gripe of the workers going on strike is the managerial abuse, contempt and incompetence they have had to put up with over the years, based on consistent workplace issues such as under-staffing, high stress, casework overload and ever fewer resources being assigned to their essential work with the most vulnerable. Management have consistently ignored, downplayed and gaslighted staff, forcing strike action as a last resort.

Responsibility rests with bullshit job artist Donald “Bastard” Graham, Director of Homes and Landlord Services, paid £280,000 pa via an interim contract for his inessential “work” at taxpayer expense until recently. The scumbag, now on a secretive city council fixed term contract of unknown value, appears to have been given this vast sum from the Housing Revenue Account to attack essential workers and make their lives intolerable. 

We’d also like to call out chief bully Service Manager Fiona “Nurse Ratched” Lester, formerly of Sovereign Housing Association infamy. Let’s not, however, forget the Reverend’s ever-pliable idiot sidekick – Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery Tom “Plasticine Man” Renhard, under whose watch unacceptable management behaviour has flourished.

We’ve also heard of other rumblings elsewhere at the council. Who’s coming out next? Watch this space.