Industrial action planned for later this month called off

Parking wardens on strike in Wandsworth. Picture: Paul Grafton

September 7, 2022

Strike action across parking services in Wandsworth has been called off after a “major” pay deal. Parking wardens employed by the council’s private contractor NSL Parking Services were set to walk out again this month but have ended the dispute after accepting a pay rise of 11.5 per cent.

The row over pay between the GMB union and NSL kicked off in June and saw 20 days of strike action in total. The union previously said members wanted an “improved pay deal which reflects the extremely high rate of inflation and the attached cost of living crisis”.

Four days of strike action planned for this month have now been cancelled after GMB members accepted the latest pay offer from NSL. It means the parking attendants’ basic wages will immediately increase by 11.5 per cent and they will also see guaranteed pay rises for the next two years. The union confirmed the “long-running dispute” with NSL has ended due to the “major pay uplift”.

Paul Grafton, regional officer at GMB, thanked Wandsworth locals for supporting the union’s campaign. He said, “It’s about time this dispute got settled, as our members have had to take a lot of strike action, foregoing their wages on each occasion.

“This offer shows that the money was there all along, and if NSL had been honest about what they could afford from the outset, we wouldn’t have seen so much disruption on the streets of Wandsworth.”

He added, “This was never about anything other than ensuring our members can continue to keep their heads above water in the current economic climate, and it’s great that the local community gets that.”

A spokesperson for NSL said: “We are pleased that an agreement has been reached with the GMB which will protect our colleagues against ongoing economic uncertainty.”

Charlotte Lillywhite - Local Democracy Reporter