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UNIONS WARN OF MORE SINGLE STATUS STRIKES

06-02-2008

Union leaders have warned there’ll be more strikes to follow yesterday’s walkout by Council workers which crippled services around the city. Schools, libraries, and leisure centres were all closed as staff protested against the Single Status Pay and Grading Review – while binmen picketed their depots.

Around 3,000 attended a rally in Victoria Square, and heard Unison Rep Caroline Johnson launch a passionate attack on management’s plans. She argued that workers had to campaign against performance related pay and job flexibility not just wages.

“There is no such thing as fair performance related pay” she said. “It has to go.”

Johnson added: “There can be no settlement that includes performance related pay and flexibility. If the Council don’t come back to the negotiating table, we’ll be calling further strikes.”

She was delighted refuse workers had taken part in the action, despite recently voting to accept a revised pay offer.

“The Council might as well have put a gun to their head" she said.

"What a choice – lose £13,000 or lose £2,000”.

Her plea for Gordon Brown to dip into his pocket to help fund a deal was echoed by Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob, who told The Stirrer, “Unless national government cough up, this will be difficult to solve.

“Northern Rock happened out of the blue and they could find £30 billion to fund it, so what about council workers?

“They look after our kids and our elderly, and isn’t that as important as helping out the bankers?”

Labour councillor Zoe Hopkins claimed, “The process is so flawed, the only option is to abandon it. You can’t make a few tweaks in a bad process and hope it will be alright again.”

Her leader Sir Albert Bore said from the platform that he would restore the right of workers to have six years back pay instead of the four given to staff by the Council.

One staff member, Lisa complained that as a learning mentor in a junior school, she’s been told by management to sign a new contract even though she hasn’t even seen it yet.

Polly, who stands to lose around £800 a year from her £38,000 Council salary, insisted, “It’s not just about pay but conditions. With flexibility, there’s insecurity about where you’re going to work. I would definitely strike again.”

Her colleague Denise will lose £3,000 from her annual income of £25,000 and pledged her support for more industrial action.

“I’ve been working here for more than five years, and I would come out because the system hasn’t been transparent and we haven’t been consulted properly.”

More pictures from yesterday's protest here

We’ll be getting response from the Council leadership shortly.

Meanwhile join the Single Status thread on The Stirrer Forum.