North Lanarkshire Council staff’s second day of action over pay

Sep 24 2008 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

COUNCIL services across North Lanarkshire are set to be affected again today, Wednesday, as public sector workers walk out over national pay negotiations.

A one-day all-out strike has been announced by three trade unions.

But North Lanarkshire Council says they will be prioritising the continuation of essential services to the most vulnerable service users.

Unions are angry at the 2.5 per cent increase offered to staff and members of UNISON, GMB and Unite will take part in the 24-hour stoppage – the second strike within a month.

It follows action on August 20, which came after staff rejected the below-inflation pay offer. UNISON say the employers’ body, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, indicated they would discuss an improved offer, but further talks have seen no such improvement.

“If the employers thought that promising to reconsider their pay offer and then refusing to deliver was a clever tactic, then this next action will show them the error of their ways,“ said UNISON regional organiser Tracey Dalling.

“Whether this was a piece of sleight-of-hand or the inability of the employers’ reps to agree a new offer, it has backfired badly. All the reports indicate that this has made members much angrier. And this is likely to be demonstrated on the September 24.”

Council chiefs are trying to minimise disruption, which means there will be emergency catering cover in the council’s residential care facilities, while homes for older people and residential children’s units will operate with minimum cover.

A centralised social work team will respond to high-risk emergencies such as child protection, and housing’s emergency service will be operating at reduced capacity and will respond to urgent and priority calls.

The community alarms service will be operative in a reduced capacity, while partial exemptions for home care are still under discussion with the trade unions.

All primary and secondary schools will be open as usual and mainstream school bus services will continue to operate.

Services not granted exemptions by the unions include the Meals on Wheels and Lunch Club services, which will be suspended for the day. There will be no sheltered housing wardens working during the strike and there will be no school crossing patrollers or co-ordinators. Nurseries, special needs schools, day services for adults with learning or physical disabilities, day centres for older people, libraries, museums and community centres will all be closed during the action.

Gavin Whitefield, chief executive of North Lanarkshire Council, said: “ We continue to conduct negotiations with the three unions in an attempt to minimise disruption to local services on September 24, with an emphasis on services aimed at our most vulnerable residents. I would urge anyone who intends to use a council service on Wednesday to check availability beforehand.”