Traffic wardens in Ealing who have been on strike since 27 August 2024 over Ealing Council-owned Greener Ealing not recognising the civil enforcement officers belonging to the Unite trade union are to stage two protests on Wednesday (18 September 2024).
Unite has said “Ealing Council’s Labour leadership and MP are betraying these workers” by not recognising its 40 members.
Currently only two unions are recognised by Labour-run Ealing Council – UNISON and GMB.
The first traffic wardens protest on Wednesday will take place outside Ealing Southall MP Deirdre Costigan’s constituent meeting from 10:30am – noon at Lancaster Road Community Centre in Southall. The second public protest will take place outside Perceval House in Ealing Broadway during Ealing Council’s cabinet meeting from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.
The workers were formerly employed by Serco but from 1 April 2024 parking enforcement was brought in-house to the council’s Greener Ealing.
According to Unite, Greener Ealing hasn’t recognised the agreement Serco had with Unite to represent the workers.
The workers union says that the roles of the traffic wardens are different to others who work for Greener Ealing’s waste management services and the staff want Unite to represent them as it has done for the last 10 years.
Unite added that prior to becoming MP for Ealing Southall, Ms Costigan as deputy leader of Ealing Council as well as Ealing Council cabinet member for climate action helped the workers in their campaign to stop parking services being outsourced. The union claims that she is not supporting the workers to have Unite recognised by Greener Ealing.
As well as the former deputy leader, Unite has said that Ealing Council leader Councillor Peter Mason is also ignoring the workers despite previously meeting with Unite during the campaign to stop outsourcing,
Unite has also raised concerns that Ealing Council has been using agency workers to break the strike and hired temporary staff prior to the start of the strike.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Ealing council’s Labour leadership and MP are betraying these workers. Not only have promises been broken but a Labour council is now in the disgraceful position of using agency staff to break a strike.”
Ms Graham added: “Unite will not rest until the council listens to these workers and ensures their union is recognised by Greener Ealing.”
Ealing Liberal Democrats Councillor Athena Zissimos for Environment, Streets, Parks and Climate Change said: “It is shocking to see that Ealing Labour are not being open and even handed in the rights of workers including the recognition of unions. They also seem to be prioritising the use of agency workers to make up the short fall of staff on strike. Rumours abound that no permanent contracts are being offered to these workers who are breaking the strike, in case they too join Unite.”
Councillor Zissimos added: “This seems unjust and unfair and contrary to Labour’s stated aims. It exposes the hypocrisy, complacency and lack of leadership evident in Ealing Labour who have been in control at Perceval House for over a decade.”
Neil Reynolds, chair of Ealing Green Party said: “The council should come to it’s senses and recognise the workers rights. Greener Ealing has done very little to improve illegal parking. You only have to look at the Uxbridge Road to see that the Labour council should start working with parking attendants rather than fighting them.”
In a statement to EALING.NEWS, Ealing Council said that its own previous statement “remains the same and will be closely monitored”.
An Ealing Council spokesperson added: “We are disappointed that Unite are leading on industrial action in our parking service. So far the impact has been minimal with very little disruption to normal services. We have put measures in place to ensure that residents aren’t impacted during industrial action and would advise drivers to follow restrictions as normal or they could face being issued with a penalty charge notice.”
The council also said: “The civil enforcement officers are employed by Greener Ealing and not directly by the Council. This would be a matter for Greener Ealing Limited. The workforce that are on strike are employed by Greener Ealing and not Ealing Council. Measures will continue to be in place to mitigate the strike action.”
A Greener Ealing spokesperson previously said the strike action has had “minimal impact”: “GEL has a recognition agreement with the GMB. We have explained repeatedly to the Unite representatives that we will not recognise them for collective bargaining purposes. We have now reached an agreement on pay and conditions with the GMB for the entire workforce. Parking staff are also benefiting from a range of improved terms and conditions
“The strike itself has had minimal impact with a small number of parking staff taking part each day. The service is operating well and meeting the council’s priorities.”
Deirdre Costigan was approached for a comment.
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