Published: Wednesday, 1st October, 2008 12:30
Council workers' strike action is set to continue
By Jamie MacDonald
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Strikers picket outside Park Primary School.
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
LAST Wednesday’s council strike in Clackmannanshire looks set to be followed by more industrial action starting next week.
Led by the trade unions Unison, Unite and GMB last week’s strike saw all council services shut down for the day over a proposed below inflation pay increase of 2.5 per cent.
With trade unions and councils across the country remaining at loggerheads further industrial action looks to be inevitable.
From Tuesday to Friday next week Clackmannanshire Council’s customer service advisors are expected to down tools in protest over the latest pay offer.
Grant Eals, vice chair of Clackmannanshire’s Unison branch, told the Advertiser, “Hopefully the change in tactics from a full one day strike to more spread out action will minimise impact on people but maximise impact on the council.
“From our perspective last week’s strike was better than the first one last month. We had more people out and we actually increased our membership by around 100 on the back of that.”
He added, “Everyone agrees that this is the right thing to do - that’s why we have three unions not just one supporting it. There were also a number of non-union members who didn’t go to work.
“I think most people understand the position we are in and that we are trying to help some of the lowest paid workers to get a better deal.”
Last week’s action meant primary schools opened in the morning only and high schools were only open for S4,S5 and S6. Mental health, social work and day services were also affected.
Pickets at Park Primary gained support from the local milkman who refused to cross the picket line to take the children’s milk into the school. The children did receive their milk when someone else carried it inside.
One of the pickets outside Park Primary said, “We have had good backing from the parents.
“Not a lot of children were sent to school and we were quite pleased with the support we have had.”
Tulliallan Primary in Kincardine was closed to pupils for the full day as Fife schools operated a different closure policy.
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