Parking Attendants Hold Protests at Labour Meetings

Union accuses council of employing agency staff to break strike

Striking Greener Ealing staff protesting this Wednesday. Picture: Unite the Union

September 19, 2024

The heat has increased in the dispute between Ealing Council and civil enforcement officers working in parking services with protests being held at two events attended by Labour councillors.

Striking parking attendants held a demonstration outside the Lancaster Road Community Centre in Southall when local Labour MP Deirdre Costigan was holding a constituency meeting this Wednesday morning (18 September).

Then in the afternoon the workers held another protest during the monthly Ealing Council cabinet meeting at Perceval House.

The action comes as Unite the Union confirms that the strike is continuing past the date originally announced.

Around 40 parking services workers employed by council-owned Greener Ealing Ltd (GEL have been on strike since 27 August over the refusal to recognise their long-term union Unite. Staff were previously employed by Serco before being transferred to GEL earlier this year.

Most of the existing employees of the company work in waste management and are members of the GMB. The former Serco staff had been represented by Unite the Union for a decade and they believe that, as a distinct working group, they should continue to be members of a different union. GEL is insisting that all staff are members of GMB which, along with UNISON, is one of the two unions recognised within Ealing Council for collective bargaining.

Before being elected to parliament Ms Costigan was the deputy leader of Ealing Council as well as being Unison's national officer for disability equality. She previously supported workers in their campaign to stop parking services being outsourced, pledging a better working relationship and terms and conditions under council employment. However, Unite says she is now opposing the recognition of the union within GEL. Council leader Peter Mason also supported Unite’s campaign against outsourcing but now the union says he is ignoring calls it to able to negotiate pay and other matters with GEL.

The union also believes that agency staff are being used by the council in attempt to break the strike. It claims that extra temporary workers were taken on ahead of the dispute and that at least at least four more agency workers were brought in during the ongoing industrial action, which is potentially unlawful. Ealing Council responded to this suggestion by saying that measures were being put in place to mitigate the effects of the strike action.

Striking workers protesting outside the Ealing Council Cabinet meeting. Picture: Unite the Union

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Ealing council’s Labour leadership and MP are betraying these workers. Not only have promises been broken but a Labour council is now in the disgraceful position of using agency staff to break a strike.

“Unite will not rest until the council listens to these workers and ensures their union is recognised by Greener Ealing.”

Ealing TUC Secretary, Oliver New, added, "Greener Ealing is wholly owned by our elected Ealing Labour Council, but instead of talking to the union about this strike, they have provoked it.

“It's an all-out ongoing strike which could have serious consequences for traffic and road safety.

“We have written individually to every Labour councillor calling on them to urgently settle this dispute and recognise the union that these workers have belonged to for 10 years."

Councillor Athena Zissimos, the Liberal Democrat’s spokesperson on Environment, Streets, Parks and Climate Change said, “It is shocking to see that Ealing Labour are not being open and even handed in the rights of workers including the recognition of unions. They also seem to be prioritising the use of agency workers to make up the short fall of staff on strike. Rumours abound that no permanent contracts are being offered to these workers who are breaking the strike, in case they too join Unite.

“This seems unjust and unfair and contrary to Labour’s stated aims. It exposes the hypocrisy, complacency and lack of leadership evident in Ealing Labour who have been in control at Perceval House for over a decade.”

The current round of strikes was due to end this Wednesday (18 September) but Unite says the dispute is continuing.

Ealing Council insists that this is a matter to be decided by negotiation between Greener Ealing Ltd and the union and that it is not the employer of the workforce.

A council spokesperson said, “We are disappointed that Unite are leading on industrial action in our Parking Service. So far the impact has been minimal with very little disruption to normal services. We have put measures in place to ensure that residents aren’t impacted during industrial action and would advise drivers to follow restrictions as normal or they could face being issued with a penalty charge notice.”