Wiltshire traffic wardens announce new seven day strike
It follows the two days last month
Last updated 16th Jun 2022
A new seven day strike has been announced by traffic wardens in Wiltshire.
They are walking out for the third time, as the GMB Union say "Wiltshire Council refuses to rule out fire and rehire to impose their pay cut".
Members from the union voted for the industrial action, after the first two days in May.
They will be striking from the 30th June until the 6th July.
Keith Roberts, GMB Regional Organiser said:
“Our members are at the end of their tether. After the last two strikes the council agreed to talks with ACAS, but they have twice pulled out of agreed dates that they themselves suggested and were in our diaries.
“They pulled out of talks on the 7th and 21st. They have now agreed to 29th, but this is a whole 6 weeks after they originally agreed to talk, and there is no guarantee that they won’t pull out again, as they already have done so twice.
“In the meantime, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, our members have the terrible threat hanging over their heads of a huge pay cut. This is impacting their well being and several are off sick with stress. The council need to start acting like grown-ups, and take the proposed pay cuts off the table.
“To make matters worse, the council have refused to take Fire and Rehire off the table. This is the disgraceful practice, of sacking your own workforce to force through contractual changes.
“This is a red rag to a bull for our members, who will not voluntarily accept a pay cut, and are disgusted that the council refuses to rule out the rogue option of Fire and Rehire, which is usually the last resort of only the most unscrupulous employers.
“Wiltshire Council needs to understand that this 7-day strike will be a major escalation from GMB, and we will ensure that it hits them hard in the pocket, costing them up to £200,000 in lost income.”
PARKING CHARGES STILL IN PLACE
Wiltshire Council have responded to the strike, and say the claims made are "unhelpful".
Terence Herbert, Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council, said:
“GMB Union has informed us that some officers in our parking enforcement team are planning to strike from Thursday 30 June until Wednesday 6 July. Parking restrictions, including all usual car parking charges, will still be in place during that time.
“Discussions between the council and the three recognised unions – Unison, Unite the Union and GMB – over proposed changes to terms and conditions are ongoing, and GMB’s claim that we refuse to take the option to ‘fire and re-hire’ off the table is unhelpful.
“While the ability to make changes to policies through a process of dismissal and re-engagement is one of a range of options open to any employer, it is not something that is currently being looked at or discussed.
“We always aim to work with our recognised unions to find alternative ways forward, but GMB’s misleading claims are likely to cause distress to staff. A more constructive approach would be for them to engage meaningfully in working group discussions, as the other unions are.
“It is incorrect to say that we have ‘pulled out of talks’ with ACAS. We have been working with ACAS to find a date that suits the council, GMB and ACAS, and we are committed to holding these talks at a time when all parties can attend.
“We are disappointed that the GMB has chosen to escalate this strike action, and we will be putting in place measures to minimise both customer and financial impacts, including continuing to enforce parking restrictions.
“As we have been clear all along, workers’ base pay is not being cut and no final decisions have been made on these proposals. However, we do need to make changes to ensure our policies remain fit for purpose, financially viable and support delivery of our business plan, while ensuring our staff are fairly and appropriately rewarded.
“We value our staff, and we will continue to listen to their views throughout this process.”