Stranger Than Paradise
23rd May 2011, 19:19
Workers are taking industrial action – with some going on strike – in protest at Southampton City Council sacking thousands of workers and re-employing them on altered terms and conditions.
The staff involved include care workers, street cleaners, refuse collectors, social workers, parking enforcement officers, building trades and various other services.
While 108 refuse workers will take full strike action for a week, other staff will take part in industrial action short of a strike, which will include working to rule, an overtime ban, no private car use for work purposes and no personal mobile 'phone use.
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "The tactic being deployed by Southampton City Council is possible because UK employment law reinforces the medieval 'master-servant' principle that has no place in the 21st century. Our members are standing up for basic human rights . The actions of Southampton City Council should be condemned by all decent people."
And Mark Wood, Unite's convenor at the council, said: "This action along with the possibility of more planned strikes throughout the summer months will cause major disruption, but it does not have to be this way. Unite and Unison have offered talks using the conciliation service ACAS but ... council employees have been given no option but to take this action by an unreasonable employer more intent on breaking their will than working together and it's the public of Southampton who will suffer."
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=16364
The staff involved include care workers, street cleaners, refuse collectors, social workers, parking enforcement officers, building trades and various other services.
While 108 refuse workers will take full strike action for a week, other staff will take part in industrial action short of a strike, which will include working to rule, an overtime ban, no private car use for work purposes and no personal mobile 'phone use.
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "The tactic being deployed by Southampton City Council is possible because UK employment law reinforces the medieval 'master-servant' principle that has no place in the 21st century. Our members are standing up for basic human rights . The actions of Southampton City Council should be condemned by all decent people."
And Mark Wood, Unite's convenor at the council, said: "This action along with the possibility of more planned strikes throughout the summer months will cause major disruption, but it does not have to be this way. Unite and Unison have offered talks using the conciliation service ACAS but ... council employees have been given no option but to take this action by an unreasonable employer more intent on breaking their will than working together and it's the public of Southampton who will suffer."
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=16364