South Wales Evening Post - 19 June 2006
Swansea Council has refused to reveal how much money it spends on temp workers and agency staff. A survey by the GMB union found that Welsh councils spent more than £63 million on temporary and agency staff last year, with Cardiff and Carmarthenshire each splashing out over £19 million.
Flintshire came third, spending £3.7 million.
But Swansea authorities have remained tight-lipped on the subject, refusing to answer GMB questions through the Freedom of Information Act.
The union has urged UK councils to cut the huge amount - reckoned to £1.5 billion - spent annually on temporary workforces.
Regional secretary Allan Garley said: "This is a horrific abuse of the public purse and is tantamount to back-door privatisation.
"Council spending on temporary and agency staff generally represents very bad value for money for the public. In most cases, the only winners are the employment agencies, who take a considerable slice for administration and profits.
"The temporary staff get paid less than permanent staff, while the councils pay more to the agency that it would cost to employ the workers direct."
