Members of the GMB Union at North Lanarkshire Council are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over pay cuts.
The trade union said members in the local authority’s regeneration and environmental services section will be asked to vote on strike action after a consultative ballot showed ‘overwhelming support’ to resist proposed changes to terms and conditions.
In the ballot, 96% of members supported proposals for an overtime ban and ‘work to rule’. A formal ballot on industrial action will now be held among the trade union members.
According to the trade union, the proposed changes will impact around 120 workers and will impact services like refuse, recycling and waste control.
‘This consultative ballot result sends out a clear message to the council that our members will strongly resist the imposition of further cuts to their livelihoods,’ said GMB Scotland organiser, Ude Adigwe.
‘This cannot continue unchallenged and unless the council is prepared to sit down and negotiate in the proper manner then it looks certain that we will be in a dispute affecting cleansing services across the council within weeks.’
But a spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said the GMB did not tell them about the consultative ballot, or about its results.
‘The information provided by the GMB in their press release is misleading and factually inaccurate. For example, it suggests that some employees pay grades will be affected when this is simply not the case,’ said the spokesman.
‘However, we are always willing to discuss matters of mutual interest and we will be contacting the GMB for an explanation.’
