03.04.19
Dundee City Council workers vote to strike over new redundancy and pay protection policy
Workers at Dundee City Council have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action after the authority imposed what a union described as a policy of compulsory redundancies and changes to employment terms.
Councillors voted in February for a new policy removing the ability of employees to nominate themselves for redundancy and to cut pay protection of staff from three years to one for people who have moved jobs.
Unite said the council’s workforce were “under attack” as up to 5,000 of its members – including home care staff, construction workers, pupil support staff, refuse collector, environmental health staff and librarians – voted for strike actions.
The union said 92% of participants voted in favour of industrial action and that strikes are likely unless Dundee City Council agrees to reopen the consultation process, and withdraw the imposed changes to the employment terms.
Bob Macgregor, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “Workers in Dundee City Council and the Leisure Trust find it hard to understand why SNP councillors supported by the Lord Provost have voted for a policy that they say they do not want to use.
“Unite will now speak to our sister unions about the action we will take should the council and the trust fail to talk with us about reversing these imposed changes.
“After years of cuts, Dundee City Council workers are demanding to be treated with dignity. This council has breached their own Fair Work charter by failing to engage and consult on these changes to their workers’ terms of employment.
“Local government cannot provide quality services whilst its workforce is under attack.”