Fresh strike ballot for Haringey Council workers as trade union slams 'pathetic' pay offer

The Unite ballot is for employees working for companies contracted by local authorities to deliver a range of council services, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Haringey's housing repair workers on the picket line in Wood Green (credit Damian Brennan) — Unite members in Haringey during a previous strike (credit Damian Brennan)

Unite members providing services for Haringey Council are set to be balloted for strike action following a “pathetic” 3.3% pay offer.

The ballot, due to open this Thursday (16th) and close on Monday, 17th August, is for employees working for companies contracted by local authorities to deliver a range of council services.

News that staff who provide a number of council services in Haringey – and 21 other local authorities across the country – would be asked to back potential strikes was announced last Thursday (9th) by Unite, one of the UK’s largest trade unions.

Although it is not clear which staff groups in Haringey are involved, Unite says that, nationally, those being balloted “work in various council roles including waste and bin collections, street cleaners, street lighting, teaching assistants and home care staff”.

In a press release the union said staff had “turned down“ a 3.3% pay offer “from the national employers, who set council workers pay, as they believe this fails to address years of below inflation pay offers and pay freezes”.

Unite national officer for local authorities Clare Keogh said: “After years of real-term pay cuts imposed without negotiations, council workers have had enough and see no option but to take action to make their voices heard.

“Strike action will have a huge impact on the council services communities depend on, but this is entirely the fault of national employers refusing to negotiate.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added: “Council workers are struggling to keep their heads above water after over a decade of pathetic pay deals.

“Employers are again trying to cut the real terms pay of workers instead of investing in our members, who do vital jobs in our communities.”

Currently, Unite members in Haringey are understood to be the only group in London who will be balloted for industrial action.

However, the union explains: “Ballots are of a targeted nature and more local authorities could join the dispute at a later date.”

As well as Haringey, the councils being balloted are Great Yarmouth, North East Lincolnshire, South Tyneside, Blackburn with Darwen Borough, Bolton, Cumberland, Knowsley, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region, Oldham, Sefton, Warrington, Westmorland and Furness, Wirral, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Leeds, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) approached Haringey Council for further information about the potential industrial action.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: “We have not received any notification from Unite of an industrial action ballot at Haringey Council.

“Annual cost of living pay increases for our employees are not agreed locally by the council.

“They are nationally negotiated as part of sector-wide collective bargaining arrangements.”

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