Unite members in 23 councils to strike over pay

In a statement last week, the union said its members “overwhelmingly rejected”  local authority employers’ pay offer of  £1,925, which it said is “a poorer offer than last year, despite the cost-of-living crisis having worsened”.

While the union did not specifically say which sectors will be hit by the strikes, which it will accelerate throughout the Autumn, a spokesperson told letsrecycle.com: “Unite has a large number of members employed in council refuse collection services and some of the impending disputes will affect these workers.”

The union announced that the councils included in the strikes across the board will include Bath and North East Somerset, Chesterfield, Coventry, Cumberland, Darlington, Haringey, Ipswich, Newham, North Tyneside, Tower Hamlets, Truro, Sefton, Southwark, Warrington, Westminster and Wigan.

In Wales, they will be joined by Cardiff, Cynon Valley Waste, Gwynedd and Wrexham.

Housing maintenance workers working for Chesterfield are the first to take industrial action, beginning yesterday and continuing today.

Following the September strikes, the union plans to “escalate the industrial action throughout the autumn”, meaning coordinated action, longer periods of strikes and more members joining the dispute, the union said.

‘Breadline’

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham commented: “Council workers are on the frontline providing vital services to the communities they serve. It is simply unacceptable that workers have been forced onto the breadline due to years of real terms pay cuts.

“Unite never takes a backward step in supporting its members and is dedicated to enhancing their jobs, pay and conditions. Unite will be providing its local authority members with its complete support.”

Tensions

Moreover, Unite said “tensions in the dispute have risen” after it claimed local authority employers sent a letter “refusing to enter into negotiations and stating that the initial offer was full and final”.

Unite also surveyed its members earlier this summer and found that nearly half of recipients struggled to afford heating, electricity and water bills and 17% struggled to meet mortgage and rent payments.