Hart District Council staff started a two-day strike over pay on Wednesday (July 16), sparking fears that services would be hit.
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Two-day strike starts with demo
July 18, 2008
Hart District Council staff started a two-day strike over pay on Wednesday, sparking fears that services would be hit.
The effects of the Unison action were not fully known as the Fleet News went to press, but it had been predicted that rubbish collections would be severely disrupted.
Ten Unison members staged a peaceful protest outside Hart’s Springwell Lane waste depot in Hartley Wintney at 5.45am on Wednesday before moving to the authority’s Fleet headquarters in Harlington Way.
Unison members have rejected a 2.45% pay offer. The union is asking for a rise of 6%, or 50p an hour.
Unison points out that local government employees have had below-inflation pay increases for ten years and have the worst pay, holidays, parental rights and sick pay in the public sector.
It said the “insulting” 2.45% pay offer for most members and an extra £100 a year for the lowest paid was way below inflation and represented a pay cut. Unison said 250,000 employees - mostly women - earn less than £6.50 an hour.
The union points out that councils saved £1billion in so-called “efficiency savings” last year, which could have given Unison members a 5% pay increase.
Teresa Donegan, Unison’s south-east regional manager, was one of the protesters outside the depot and council offices on Wednesday.
She said: “The industrial action has gone well. A lot of people have just turned round and gone home.
“The reaction at the council depot was very good too. Most of the refuse workers support the strike - that’s why they have walked out. I don’t think many refuse bins will be collected this week.”
Mrs Donegan added: “Nobody wants to strike but what do you do to make the government listen?
“These pay talks have been going on for five or six months now so it’s not as though we haven’t tried. We just can’t afford not to strike, especially when inflation is 4.6% and rising.
“There’s so many of our members on low pay that many are in receipt of benefits or have second jobs.
“It’s unfortunate and nobody wants to cause disruption to services but if we don’t make a protest then our voices will not be heard.
“Taking strike action is not an easy choice, especially when finances are tight. But without it the employers will not return to negotiations or increase their offer.”
Brian Baldwin, chairman of the employers’ side of the local government negotiating body, said Unison should have given careful thought to calling strike action in the light of the 27% ballot turnout.
“Any strike action Unison calls could have serious implic-ations for some of the most vulnerable people in society and would not change the fact that our last was our final offer.
“The settlement was affordable, while at the same time made sure that local government continued to be an attractive place to work.
“If the pay settlement was set any higher, then councils would be forced into making unpalatable choices between cutting front line services and laying off staff.
“Neither unions nor employers would want either of these options.”
There were no glass collections during the two-day strike. Hart District Council advised residents to put their glass crates out in a fortnight’s time or use glass recycling banks throughout the area.
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