Parking Attendants in Wandsworth Set To Strike
Six days of industrial action planned during June
Parking attendant took industrial action before the pandemic. Picture: GMB Union
GMB union members who work as civil enforcement officers covering parking in Wandsworth Borough are set to strike over pay.
Parking fines are handed out by NSL Parking Services which has been contracted to do so by the council. The union is now calling on the new Labour administration to bring these services back in house and raise the pay and benefits to the level given to directly employed council workers.
The new leadership of the council announced after the election that they would be paying the London Living Wage to all those employed through new contracts with the council.
Strike action will be taken on 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 June which in some cases will coincide with industrial action on train and tube services.
Parking attendant took strike action in 2018 in protest at below-inflation pay rises to all outsourced workers within the borough which was then run by the Conservatives.
Paul Grafton, GMB Regional Organiser said. “Now that the Tories have been ousted from Wandsworth, we will be calling on the Labour leader to bring these important and valuable services back under local authority control.
“GMB believes these staff members are at least £5 per hour underpaid, have a less favourable pension and hardly any sick pay compared to council workers.
“The council earns many tens of millions per year in parking charges, so perhaps they might want to think about reinvesting some of that money in the people who earn it for them.”
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said, "Parking attendants are employed through an operator and the Council has ensured that their current pay level meets the London Living Wage, in line with other local authorities. Despite a number of offers having been made these have all been rejected without any attempt to compromise, and action is being threatened which will have a negative impact on our residents and businesses who rely on parking enforcement in their local area."
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June 9, 2022