Ealing Parking Attendants Set for Strike Action
Serco employees being balloted over alleged union busting
Serco employees protesting outside Ealing Town Hall last year. Picture: Helen Pattison
Parking attendants responsible for enforcing restrictions in Ealing borough are holding a ballot over strike action.
Civil enforcement officers employed by Serco will be asked to consider industrial action including a strike amid claims by the Unite union that the company’s redundancy programme has targeted union activists.
Nearly 40 staff, who have been designated as key workers and who have worked throughout successive lockdowns, are being balloted after the company offered severance to elected Unite representatives. Unite claims this is to undermine the local trade union organisation.
The strike ballot will open on Friday 12 March and close on Tuesday 6 April. If workers vote for industrial action then strikes could begin later next month.
The restructuring and redundancy programme was first instigated by Serco in late 2019 and the union claims there was minimal consultation.
Serco is also accused of offering severance to individual employees in order to undermine collective consultation over the restructuring after an agreement could not be reached last year.
The union also alleges Serco is refusing to negotiate a new absence management policy for employees working on the Ealing contract. Unite believes the present policy is being used to unfairly dismiss employees and should be renegotiated.
Unite regional officer Clare Keogh said, “Our members voted by 100 per cent to strike last year and prevented unnecessary job losses by Serco.
“Now the company is attempting to sneak unreasonable changes in through the back door.
“Staff will not accept the targeting of reps, activists and others with severance offers in order to weaken trade union organisation and undermine negotiations.
“The strength of feeling amongst the membership is such that there was no other choice but to call a strike ballot.
“It is inevitable that any strike action will result in severe disruption on Ealing’s already over congested roads.
“Further escalation of this dispute can be avoided if Serco drops its attempts to split staff and returns to the negotiating table with a new set of plans that are acceptable to our members.”
Serco have been asked for comment.
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March 9, 2021