Strike action by council bin staff is still a possibility, Thanet council leader Rick Everitt said.
Speaking at a full council meeting last week Cllr Everitt said council chief executive Colin Carmichael has been leading on negotiations with GMB union over the pay claim for cleansing staff.
He said: “This dispute is something else we have inherited from the previous administration and despite talks taking place via ACAS which resulted in an improved offer for staff, strike action remains a threat.”
Cllr Everitt said although it was strictly a matter for officers, the “fall out” would be something for members to deal with.
In May, following the local elections, GMB union members working for Thanet District Council’s Waste and Recycling collections services voted to suspend strike action which was due to start on May 30.
Members voted to allow talks aimed at seeking a resolution to proposals for improved council pay rates and bandings.
Gary Palmer GMB Regional Organiser said the talks were needed to: “tackle the substantive issue of low pay for those providing this vital service to council tax payers within the district and aimed at ending the dispute allowing our members and council staff access to an improved standard of living allowing them perhaps just a little breathing space between themselves and possible workplace poverty.”
Mr Palmer said there have been talks facilitated by ACAS but the offer from Thanet council has been disappointing.
He said: “Unfortunately the offers we received, our members found insulting and nowhere near where they want to be.”
Pay offers
Mr Palmer said members are asking for £15ph for drivers and £12ph for loaders. These pay scales have recently been accepted by Dover, Folkestone, Ashford and Swale councils. Further afield in Winchester a potential refuse strike has been avoided after members, who are employed by the council’s waste contractor Biffa, have this morning (July 17) accepted a pay deal for HGV drivers to receive £15.50 per hour and loaders £12 per hour.
The pay offer received for Thanet staff on June 30 was £14.22 for drivers and £11.35 for loaders – a rise of 15p per hour.
Mr Palmer says the two authorities which have not agreed to those rates are Thanet and Canterbury – where strike action by bin and cleansing staff is currently taking place.
He added: “Everyone around them is agreeing to those sort of rates, what’s really disappointing is the two authorities being difficult are Labour controlled councils. I am shocked.”
Mr Palmer added: “They need to recognise the fact the guys are doing a dirty and vital job and all they want is a decent wage. They need to feed their families and they are struggling.”
The GMB will be issuing notice that it will re-ballot members this month to decide whether to go forward with industrial action in Thanet.
‘Competitive pay’
Mr Carmichael previously said: “We are committed to providing our residents with essential services and our staff play a critical role in enabling us to do this. We recognise the need to support our staff and competitive pay is important for recruitment and retention.
“Some of our lowest paid workers will see rises of up to 11.56% to bring their pay in line with the market rate. We have already applied a market supplement to the salary of the majority of cleansing staff. The supplements are backdated to the beginning of April this year, and lift salaries to a level which is comparable with other organisations offering similar services.
“These market supplements will only be withdrawn after permanent changes to the pay structure have been made. We expect that pay will then remain at a level equivalent to, or higher than, the market supplement currently in place.”
Canterbury strike action
In Canterbury members of the GMB union who work for Canenco on bin collections in the district are on strike for a ninth consecutive working day today (Monday 17 July).
The depot is currently being picketed although there are crews working.
Last week the GMB said Canterbury City Council’s use of agency workers to cover shifts “is breaking the law.”
This followed a High Court ruling on July 13 which quashed the Government’s decision to permit employers to use agency workers to undermine strikes.
Mr Palmer said: “GMB union has warned Canterbury Council in light of (the) High Court ruling, it may now be breaking the law by using agency workers during a strike.
“Our members are surprised and very disappointed a Labour led council would use Tory anti-union laws like these to try to break a strike in the first place.”
Canterbury council has reached agreement with Unison members for drivers’ pay go up to £14.45 an hour (a £1.87 an hour rise including the consolidated driver retention bonus) and loaders’ pay to go up to £11.61 an hour (up by 95 pence an hour).
Staff in other frontline services of the business will also receive similar increases of up to 95 pence per hour.
The pay offer is backdated to the start of April. The payment will be made to all staff, including GMB members who remain on strike action.
Pay rates from other authorities
Brighton & Hove – Drivers = £16.27 p/h; Loaders = £12.32 p/h
Adur & Worthing – Drivers = £16.59 p/h; Loaders = £12.46 p/h
Dover & Folkestone – Drivers = £15.50 p/h; Loaders = £12.00 p/h
Ashford – Drivers = £15.02 p/h; Loaders = £12.00
Swale – Drivers = £15.02 p/h; Loaders = £12.00
Winchester – Drivers = £15.50 p/h; Loaders = £12.00 p/h
Chichester – Drivers = £15.21 p/h; Loaders = £11.99 p/h
