Bob
There were a number of council Direct Labour Organisations (DLO) within Birmingham Council. The Elan Valley Scheme was built by the DLO. I understand that Hams Hall Power Station may have been too.
The social housing DLO was disbanded in the late 60’s early 70’s, but I don’t know what the rational was behind it as social housing was still being built. I suspect it may have been cost driven. Labour costs are a significant part of any building project and the council employees were engaged on decent terms and conditions. Saying that, the council rates of pay were lower than the private sector, but work on the council was regular. As we know, the building industry has always been a roller-coaster of boom and bust.
Social housing, to my knowledge was still being built up until 1984, then by private contractors. I know a number of DLO employees ended up working for the council’s maintenance DLO.
The council’s maintenance DLO was eventually privatized in 2000 or externalised as the council prefers to call it. The councils published reasoning was that it removed the risk to the public purse and that the DLO had suddenly started to return a loss on its last three years of trading. It was retuning a healthy profit in the previous ten years.
There were a number of council Direct Labour Organisations (DLO) within Birmingham Council. The Elan Valley Scheme was built by the DLO. I understand that Hams Hall Power Station may have been too.
The social housing DLO was disbanded in the late 60’s early 70’s, but I don’t know what the rational was behind it as social housing was still being built. I suspect it may have been cost driven. Labour costs are a significant part of any building project and the council employees were engaged on decent terms and conditions. Saying that, the council rates of pay were lower than the private sector, but work on the council was regular. As we know, the building industry has always been a roller-coaster of boom and bust.
Social housing, to my knowledge was still being built up until 1984, then by private contractors. I know a number of DLO employees ended up working for the council’s maintenance DLO.
The council’s maintenance DLO was eventually privatized in 2000 or externalised as the council prefers to call it. The councils published reasoning was that it removed the risk to the public purse and that the DLO had suddenly started to return a loss on its last three years of trading. It was retuning a healthy profit in the previous ten years.