GMB members employed by services company Serco under Mid-Sussex District Council’s refuse, recycling, and street cleansing contract have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay.
The company had offered staff a pay rise of one per cent through the Employers National Joint Council (NJC) pay negotiating body, but GMB has said it is seeking a pay offer above inflation (currently around 1.5 per cent) ‘in recognition of the continuous good work and high service delivery standard carried out by staff’.
The union, which represents staff employed by contractors working for the public sector, balloted members over strike action last month, and it has been agreed that action will be taken on Tuesday, 14 October.
GMB members will be setting up pickets outside the Serco depot in Haywards Heath throughout the day and services across Haywards Heath and Mid Sussex will be affected.
Employees have ‘simply had enough’
Speaking of the decision, Gary Palmer, GMB Organiser, said: “GMB members are not taking strike action on October 14th action lightly, but 80 per cent in favour of strike action shows the strength of feeling and anger brought about by poor pay rises year after year.
“The action will see services across Haywards Heath and Mid Sussex affected as staff walk out to highlight their anger at a pay offer which sees them fall even further behind having a decent living wage as rises to the cost of living and inflation have outstripped by a long way their own past pay increases.
“This means that more and more of them are falling into the working poverty trap every year, so strike action will hurt them in their pocket, but they have simply had enough and they want equality with the employer in a share of the profits of their labour.”
Palmer added that “all they are asking for is recognition of the part they play in the delivery of that service… by it being reflected through a decent increase in their take-home pay, above the current offer”.
Andy Norris, Serco Contract Manager, said: “We recognise this is a national dispute and Serco has no influence over the pay negotiations. We are disappointed the strike will be going ahead, but wherever possible we will do our best to minimise service disruption.”
Find out more about the GMB/Serco dispute over pay.
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