All out strike action is again threatened in East Dunbartonshire Council, say unions

UNISON , UNITE and GMB trade unions served statutory notice on East Dunbartonshire Council for a day of all out strike action across all council departments on Wednesday 12 September 2018. Bin collections, school services, homecare services will be hit by further disruption.

UNISON has also served notice to East Dunbartonshire Leisure & Culture Trust so library and leisure services will also be affected.

Four days of strike action took place earlier this year between 21 and 26 June 2018 which caused major disruption. Strikes planned for 12 to 15 July were suspended to allow further negotiations.

The dispute centres on proposed changes to conditions of service and pension provision.
Simon Macfarlane, UNISON regional organiser said: “Since July constructive talks between the council and unions has resolved issues on annual leave; overtime payments; unsocial hours payments. However UNISON members emphatically rejected the council’s latest pensions voluntary redundancy package, in a ballot.

We held helpful talks on Wednesday 29 July 2018 with East Dunbartonshire council joint leaders councillor Vaughan Moody and councillor Andrew Polson. However we have still not resolved this final issue so we are now required to serve notice of further strikes and a continuing work to rule.

The unions are ready to hold further talks to avoid further strikes and the disruption to service users. We are extremely close to a full settlement of all outstanding issues and hopefully the leadership of the council can complete the successful negotiating process with some urgency”
Kenny Jordan, UNITE said: “Unite regret having to serve strike action notice, due to legal timeframes, however, Unite remain hopeful that continued constructive dialogue with the council can lay the way to minimise the disruption to our members and the public.”

Editor notes

East Dunbartonshire Council decisions of 9 November 2017 and 20 March 2018 to cut employee terms and conditions: 3 days annual leave; less pay for working late nights /early morning, especially homecarers; removal enhanced overtime rates. Proposed cut to redundancy payments framework

All out strikes were 21 to 26 June 2018

Work to rule was from 27 June: Not being available for “call out”. Members working strictly to their job description/profile with no additional duties being carried out. Not providing cover.

Not volunteering to do any overtime.

Previous proposed strikes – for 12 July 2018- were suspended on so we could hold talks.
Rejection in consultative ballots by UNISON , UNITE, GMB on Council’s latest position on pensions.

The last meeting between unions and political leaders in East Dunbartonshire was Wednesday 29 August 2018