Council workers to strike over pay

Local rag The Evening Post, has covered the upcoming strike in its usual restrained fashion, claiming on its front page, "Schools will close and services could be crippled after 16,000 council workers in Notts voted to strike."

How disruptive the strike will be remains to be seen, but those involved cover workers employed in a wide range of workers employed in a diverse range of jobs. Unison's branch organiser for Notts, Mike Scott, told the Post, "The strike will include support staff at schools so we would expect the majority of schools in Notts will be closed." Neither Unison nor Unite have teachers as members, but schools will be forced to close if the likes of caretakers, teaching assistants and administrative staff walk out.

Strike action will be taken by employees of Nottinghamshire Councty Council and most of the Borough Councils in the county. Workers at Rushcliffe Borough Council, however, will not be taking part because the authority negotiates pay directly with staff rather than going through the National Joint Council.

There will be marches and rallies in support of the strike across the country on the 16th. In Nottingham strikers will assemble at the Forest Recreation Ground from 10:30am for a march to the Old Market Square where there will be a rally from 12 noon (see attached flyer). Elsewhere in the East Midlands, there will be similar events:

• Derby: 12 noon - 2pm Market Place Derby.
• Leicester: 12 noon – 1:30pm Town Hall Square, Leicester
• Lincoln: 12 noon - 1pm outside County Offices on Newland, Lincoln
• Northampton: There will be a march from Beckets Park. The march will assemble at 11:30am at Beckets Park and walk through the town. There will be a rally at The Guildhall at 12 noon.

The strike is part of a wider struggle across the public sector against a central government mandated pay freeze, ostensibly motivated by a desire to constrain rising inflation. In April, teachers, further education lecturers and civil servants held coordinated strike action over below inflation pay rises. In Nottinghamshire, around a third of schools were forced to close, with a march and rally in Nottingham attracting hundreds of strikers.

Nationally, 55% of Unison members voted in favour of strike action, with Unite members voting three to one in favour on a 23% turnout.

Links: Notts Unison | Unison | Unite (T&G)