Unite tells Southampton council to 'get serious' as dispute spreads
2 June 2011
As industrial action spreads across Southampton, Len McCluskey,
leader of the country's biggest union, Unite, has accused the
council of not being serious about solving the dispute.
Len McCluskey will address hundreds of Southampton city council
workers today (Thursday) to praise them for standing strong against
the local authority's attempts to intimidate them into sacrificing
their jobs.
Len McCluskey will be joined by the deputy general secretary of
Unison, Keith Sonnett. The unions will call upon the council
leader, councillor Royston Smith, to sit down with them today to
begin talks aimed at solving the dispute which is causing services
across the south coast city to seize up.
And Len McCluskey will condemn the local authority for delaying
talks until July 6, weeks into the dispute and only days before the
workforce faces the sack on July 11: "When will employers realise
that macho management does not work? You cannot tell workers
that they must accept serious attacks on their wages or be sacked
and not expect them to defend themselves.
"Southampton's workers have time and again proposed a better way
forward to an employer that refuses to listen. Tens of thousands of
council workers across the country facing attempts to intimidate
them out of their jobs will salute SCC workers for their
action.
"Negotiation, not intimidation, is the only way to solve this
dispute. But for SCC to propose talks only days before the July 11
deadline drops reinforces our fears that it is not remotely serious
about solving this dispute.
"This council employs a chief executive on a £200,000
salary. If councillor Smith as leader finds himslef too busy
to convene talks, I suggest he put his CEO to work earning this
wage beginning discussions with us as a matter of urgency.
"Councillor Smith, as leader of this council it is your duty to
get serious about solving this dispute.
"Your assault on wages will save you £6 million - you still need
to find another £60 million over the next four years.
"The people of this city are not stupid - they know that you
will come for wages first, but it will be the services they pay for
that will be slashed next.
"So we urge you to clear your diary and make solving this
dispute your priority. Because if you do not then make no
mistake, so determined are these workers to win justice this action
will escalate."
Refuse workers, traffic enforcement officers and workers at
Itchen Bridge have all taken action or announced their intention to
take action in recent days.
Earlier this week, 40 Unite and Unison traffic wardens and
maintenance staff began a seven day strike which was 100 per cent
solidly observed. The unions also gave notice yesterday
(Tuesday) of a further seven days strike by the traffic workers to
run concurrently, making 14 days in total and costing the council
hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost revenue.
Unison also gave notice of Itchen Toll Bridge staff going out
from next week for seven days. Unite has also given notice
today (Wednesday) of seven further days of strike action by refuse
workers beginning on Wednesday 8 June.
The dispute began when the 4,300-strong council workforce was
told by SCC to accept poorer contracts by July 11 or be dismissed
as the council seeks to slash £67 million from its budget in four
years, one of the biggest cost-cutting programmes of any English
council.
The unions have proposed cost-saving measures to SCC, including
reduced pay and conditions for a limited period (12 months) in
exchange for guarantees on jobs. These were rejected by SCC
which wanted permanent, hefty wage reductions of at least 5.5 per
cent.
The unions have had no meetings whatsoever with the employers on
the matters at the heart of the dispute since January despite
repeated approaches to councillors to negotiate. A consultative
ballot of the workers in January was suspended to allow the
employers to table an alternative proposal. However, when the
full council budget was set on February 16 it included the pay and
conditions cuts and powers for SCC to dismiss and re-engage workers
on inferior terms before the consultative ballot on the proposal
had even concluded.
ENDS
For further information, please contact the Unite press office
on 07768 931 315 or 07768 693 940
