NSL parking attendants to strike over low-pay freeze
11th June 2009
Unite, Scotland’s largest trade union, has confirmed that
parking attendants for Edinburgh city council will undertake a
24-hour strike action on Wednesday 17th June in a dispute over
pay.
The workers are employed by the NSL Services Group. NSL is the
largest employer of civil enforcement officers, parking attendants
and traffic attendants in the UK.
Unite members were balloted for industrial action following
NSL's announcement that there would be a pay freeze across all
contracts. The majority of the membership (94 per cent) voted in
favour of the strike which will also extend to an overtime ban
running from Monday 15th June to Saturday 20th June.
Unite regional industrial officer, Rob Stewart, said: “Unite is
furious that NSL is attempting to freeze the pay of its
hard-working staff. Like everyone else these parking attendants are
feeling the squeeze of the current economic recession, the cost of
living in Edinburgh continues to be one of the highest in the
UK.
“Without these parking attendants, traffic in Edinburgh would
come to a standstill. In the past, NSL has promoted the fact that
the effectiveness of its parking enforcement strategies are down to
the performance of its people. The company can’t expect performance
to be sustained when it is effectively seeking to pay poverty pay
as opposed to rewarding parking attendants for good work.”
NSL claims its parking attendants are overpaid at their current
rate of £7.09 an hour - a position that the workers and Unite find
incredulous given the high cost of living in Scotland’s capital
city and the increasing demands of the occupation.
Further industrial action is planned, with another 24-hour
strike starting at midnight on Thursday 2nd July.
ENDS
More information contact Mark Di-Toro on 07918 640 579
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