GMB Refuse workers at Hammersmith and Fulham council unanimously reject Serco Pay offer and vote to support industrial action
GMB Refuse workers at Hammersmith and Fulham council unanimously reject Serco Pay Offer and vote to support industrial action.
Street sweepers and refuse truck drivers have this week voted to reject a pay offer and to support industrial action over their wages. The hourly rates for refuse workers on the Serco council contract are below £10/hr.
GMB Members called their Union in to support their campaign for higher wages. During recent pay negotiations, Serco confirmed that over 70 employees were paid an average of 12% less than the London Living Wage rate of £11.05/hr.* Which in turn falls woefully short of the entry level pay rate for the lowest paid directly employed LBHF worker of £11.62/hr.
Despite the Council being signed up as a Living Wage Employer *** Serco staff working on the refuse contract for them, are not being paid the London Living Wage.
The street cleaning contract is currently up for renewal and GMB want workers back in-house as the entry level pay rate for the lowest paid council worker is £11.62.
One LBHF street sweeper said:
“We all graft hard in this job. We worked throughout the pandemic – as key workers doing an essential job for a London Living Wage council, but we didn’t get anywhere near that rate.”
“We have all been struggling to pay our bills and to keep a roof over our heads that’s why every single one of us voted to support industrial action – because we have no choice.”
“Even though we are employed by Serco this is a council contract and we don't see why we have been paid minimum wages for so long. It’s not right.”
Mick Lancaster GMB London Region Organiser said:
“We’ve had to battle Serco every step of the way to protect our Key Workers at Hammersmith and Fulham. At the height of the pandemic, Serco refused to allow staff to carry over annual leave – only to bow to pressure from the Union.**”
“Our members have been fighting against the rising cost-of-living way before inflation spiralled out of control. Serco must now listen to the hard-working staff and put a genuine cost-of-living pay offer on the table.”
Ends.
Contact: GMB London Region Press 079 7001 9643 / 079 7644 0297 or Mick Lancaster, GMB London Region Organiser 077 424 9754
Notes to editors:
GMB Union members employed by Serco to deliver the refuse and street cleansing contract for Hammersmith and Fulham Council have unanimously voted to reject the pay offer to move to formal industrial action in the absence of an improved offer.
*https://www.livingwage.org.uk/accredited-living-wage-employers
**https://www.gmblondon.org.uk/news/serco-state-pandemic-is-not-an-extenuating-circumstance
