No to pay cuts for Council workers

Labour's Parliamentary candidates have supported Cityclean workers facing the threat of pay cuts of up to £8,000 per year by the Tory council.

Simon Burgess and Nancy Platts arrived at 6am on November 9th to support the GMB dispute by refuse workers.  Simon said:

"It's disgusting that anyone would try and cut low-paid workers wages. The Tory council leader has wasted weeks when she should have been having face to face talks to avert strike action which nobody wants to take. The disruption of services to local residents should not be happening, equal pay is not an excuse to cut pay. I joined the workers this morning to show my support for urgent negotiations, the council needs to sort this out now before the situation deteriorates."

Mark Turner of the GMB said recently; ”when Simon Burgess was Leader of the council, he made it clear that there was an ‘open door’ policy under which union representatives could come and see him before issues got out of hand. We didn’t always agree or get what we wanted, but there is a stark difference between his even handed and inclusive approach and that of the current Tory administration".

Nancy Platts said: "I was proud to join GMB union members on the picket line to support the refuse workers’ strike. The mismanagement of labour relations by the Conservative Brighton and Hove Council has plunged the city into a full scale dispute with workers which I hope can be resolved soon and equitably.

"After six months of talks the Conservative Council is proposing cuts to pay of up to £8,000. It is nothing short of disgraceful that cuts on this scale could be proposed as a means to resolve the equal pay dispute. Many refuse collectors would be faced with the prospect of earning less than half the average salary in Brighton. In the circumstances it is not surprising that there was a 94% vote for strike action."