Southwark Council’s housing repair workers have postponed today’s strike action over pay, a Unite spokesperson has said.
120 out of 130 workers, responsible for tackling issues like mould, damp and leaks, were set to down tools for 24 hours in a pay dispute on Monday, September 25.
Unite has not yet explained why, nor said whether strikes planned for October 2, 9 and 16 have also been called off.
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However, in an email seen by the News, a union representative said the council chief executive was on annual leave which meant a “decision could not be reached”.
The email added: “Therefore, in consultation with our Regional Officials, we have decided to put Southwark Residents first and postpone our action and give the Chief Management Team, time to regroup and maybe come to a decision.”
Council repair workers are being offered a flat increase of £1,925. With inflation currently at 6.8 per cent, that’s a below-inflation pay rise for employees earning more than £28,308.82.
The Local Government Association, a national membership body for local authorities in England and Wales, is responsible for recommending pay.
However, Unite says local councils are not legally bound by the recommendation and is urging Southwark to pay their workers above the recommendation.
Cllr Stephanie Cryan, the council’s cabinet member for finance previously said Southwark had “respect” for the strikes but did not indicate the council would improve workers’ pay.
The postponement could come as a relief to some tenants and leaseholders. Lara Daniel, Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA) chair on the 733-flat Kingswood Estate estate had said: “It will be chaos, more despair.”
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Although the strikes appear to have been temporarily averted, the discontent of council workers is seen by some as another blow to Southwark’s housing department.
Earlier this year, some families’ homes became so riddled with damp and mould that schoolchildren marched on the council’s offices to demand improvements to the repairs system.
And on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, a damning Ombudsman report found that Southwark Council was failing to properly handle resident’s complaints.
On September 12, the council pledged to improve its housing repairs service and outlined an action plan.
Southwark Council were approached for comment.
Unite confirmed the postponement but gave no further details.