Unite News Release

 

For immediate release: Thursday 6 October 2022

Road and street sweepers in Newham to vote on strike action

Unite doesn’t rule out coordinated strike action with Newham refuse workers

Industrial unrest on the streets of Newham in London could escalate in the coming weeks and months with street cleaners preparing to vote on industrial action in a campaign against poverty pay.

Road sweepers, street sweepers and public realm operatives (caretakers on council properties) will begin voting on industrial action from Tuesday 11 October. They are calling for a significant pay increase to address the growing financial crisis facing workers. Newham pays its cleaners an average of just £22,500 per year.

Refuse workers employed by the London Borough of Newham have already taken two phases of strike action in their campaign for a fair wage. They have not ruled out further action.

Unless Newham council addresses the poverty pay facing these workers there could be coordinated strike action by the refuse workers and the cleaners.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “By failing to address the real financial hardship faced by council workers in Newham, council bosses risk allowing industrial action to spread across the borough.

“If these workers choose to escalate their campaign for pay justice, they have Unite’s full support.”

In a recent letter (see notes to editors), Unite lead officer Onay Kasab called on Newham councillors to declare the cost of providing services during the refuse strike.

Urging caution, he also reminded them of the outcome of a recent industrial dispute between Unite and Coventry City Council, “Unite members at Coventry City Council employed in the refuse service took strike action for a period of nearly 8 months. This cost the Council in excess of £4 million and possibly more when the Council chose to attempt to break the strike rather than negotiate. In addition to the unnecessary expense, the strike was not broken – instead Unite members returned to work having secured a pay victory.”

In a recent media report it was revealed how one refuse driver with more than 12 years’ service was skipping meals. Another told reporters; ‘I only have two meals per day. I can’t afford breakfast,’ they said, adding that they know of people who now use food banks to avoid working on an empty stomach. https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/01/cost-of-living-bin-collectors-have-no-idea-how-theyll-survive-17480391/

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315 

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Notes to editors

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham. 

NEWHAM REFUSE DISPUTE – HOW MUCH IS IT COSTING?

3rd October

Dear Councillor

Further to my previous email, we remain concerned about the private companies being used by the Council in an attempt to provide a service during the strike action. We believe that rather than incur unnecessary cost, the Council should be focussed on trying to resolve the dispute.

You may be aware that earlier this year, Unite members at Coventry City Council employed in the Refuse Service took strike action for a period of nearly 8 months. This cost the Council in excess of £4 million and possibly more when the Council chose to attempt to break the strike rather than negotiate. In addition to the unnecessary expense, the strike was not broken – instead Unite members returned to work having secured a pay agreement and victory.

The lesson is that Coventry did not have to incur this expense – it could and should have settled earlier. The resolution to the dispute actually cost less than the money spent to attempt to break the strike.

We are therefore asking that Newham now declare how much the strike has cost to date. We also reiterate our message that we are ready and willing to come to a negotiated settlement. We want to do so sooner rather than latter so that the lessons from Coventry are learned and applied.

 

 

Onay Kasab

National Lead Officer

Unite The Union