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BRUM COUNCIL WORKERS ANNOUNCE TWO DAY ALL OUT STRIKE

08-04-2008

Birmingham Council workers are stepping up their protests against their new pay and grading structure by announcing a two day strike – just a week before the local elections.

A date of 16 April had originally been planned, with a second day of action a week later - but union bosses are hoping that by rolling the two strike days together they’ll have a much greater impact, especially with polling day looming.

The second day of action also coincides with an unrelated teachers’ strike - and will allow attention to be focussed on the so far unresolved issue of teaching assistants and other ancillary staff.

It remains to be seen how many of the Council’s 40,000 staff will back the action, but a walkout in February closed more than 80 schools, as well as leisure centres and libraries (see link here).

Here’s the full text of a letter sent to Unison members today:

Birmingham Branch
All Out Strike Action
Wed 23rd & Thurs 24th April
Thousands of members of all the council unions attended nine members
meetings immediately after the conclusion of the two weeks of intense
talks with management. These meetings received a detailed briefing on
the revised offer made by management and voted overwhelmingly (over 90%) to continue strike action.

We now call on all members to take strike action on Wednesday 23rd April & Thurs 24th April This is the strategy for effective industrial action
which was put to the members meetings and which was very strongly
supported by members.

What You Can Do To Help Win This Dispute

Picket Your Workplace Early to Mid morning
Join A Street Protest (details overleaf) 10.00 - 11.30am
Come To The Victoria Square Rally 12.00 -2.00pm
(24th April Only)

This month running up to the May local elections is a key time to put
pressure on councillors and the management of the council to settle this
dispute.

The second strike day on 24th April will coincide with a strike by the
National Union of Teachers, who are campaigning for a fair and decent
pay rise. This day of strike action will focus huge public and media
attention on pay levels in schools, for our members working as teaching
assistants, clerical, caretaking, school meals and hundreds of other
occupations, as well as the Teachers.

As part of our campaign, the branch is also organising widespread public
leafleting, door to door and in local shopping centres in April. Come &
join us to keep up the pressure on the council

We are of course open and willing to talk to management at any time if
they have further offers to make to resolve this dispute.