Council team wins housing repair tender.

(From The Northern Echo)

Byline: CATHERINE JEWITT

THE future of a local authority housing repairs workforce has been safeguarded after months of tension over contract talks jeopardised their jobs.

Wear Valley District Council has awarded the contract to carry out maintenance of its housing stock to its own inhouse repairs team.

The decision to keep the service in-house comes after months of negotiations between council officials, workers and unions, over revised employment terms that were finalised in time to make a bid last year.

The contract was put out to tender under Government Best Value rules and the council team won the …