Job loss concerns as Derby City Council buys two new robotic vacuum cleaners for £33,000

Two new robotic vacuum cleaners are the latest recruits helping to keep Derby's Council House clean. The city council has spent £33,000 purchasing them, including a three-year servicing agreement.

It follows last year's decision to acquire new AI digital assistants Darcie and Ali who have been answering website and phone inquiries about council services and Derby Homes, respectively. And is part of the council's plan to use more Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology as it struggles to save more than £12 million in the coming years.

Council bosses previously said that new technology, which will cost the authority more than £3 million to implement, is aimed at delivering “cost reduction” solutions within services and the savings targeted are not from jobs being lost.

But opposition Conservative group leader Councillor Steve Hassall said he has grave concerns that "this is the next step towards phasing out physical staff for automation".

He said: "I am awaiting an overdue Freedom of Information request in which I asked about the impact on jobs. So far I have been told that the robotic cleaners increase the capacity of the current cleaning staff and extend the lifespan of the carpet.

"The upcoming council budget will be highlighting job cuts, which the Labour group says it will manage via deletion of vacant posts and voluntary redundancy. They have already replaced public-facing staff with Darcie - this is the next step towards phasing out physical staff for automation."

Derbyshire Live asked the council about the new recruits. A council spokesman said: "Following a successful trial at the end of last year, the council currently has two robotic vacuum cleaners. These were implemented and integrated into our cleaning regime without replacing any existing cleaning staff members.

"The robotic vacuum cleaners are an additional supplement to the work that our current team does. They enable our cleaning staff to focus on more complex tasks and to support new paying clients entering the building.

"The introduction of the vacuum cleaners has had a positive impact on our operations, increasing the capacity of our cleaning staff and allowing them more time for tasks. The efficiency of the vacuum cleaners has also significantly extended the lifespan of our carpeted surfaces, which has delayed the need for any costly replacements of carpets.

“The decision to introduce the vacuum cleaners was made by council officers and was carefully considered following the trial. At the time of implementation, there was only one UK distributor for the make and model of the robotic vacuum needed. They were purchased through the council’s spending panel process and are proving a worthwhile innovation in helping us make the best use of our resources."