Strike action


Refuse workers in Wirral walk out over coronavirus fears 08/04/2020 Refuse collectors in Wirral have refused to work after claiming Biffa Waste Services failed to introduce strict social distancing measures.
Local government pay summit to go ahead 30/03/2020 Negotiators hope to keep local government pay discussions on track despite the difficulties posed by the coronavirus crisis.
Bromley's eight-month strike comes to an end 31/01/2020 An eight-month long strike at Bromley’s library services has finally ended following an agreement between Unite and the employer, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).
Pay dispute threatens to ‘disrupt’ council tax collection 24/01/2020 Newham council faces ‘significant disruption’ to council tax collection and rebates when staff stage a week-long strike in a job evaluation row.
Surrey firefighters vote for Christmas industrial action 12/12/2019 Firefighters in Surrey have voted in favour of industrial action short of strike over the Christmas period in order to fight against local authority cuts.
Fleet mechanics threaten strike after being asked to ‘accept one compromise too many’ 03/12/2019 Council fleet mechanics in Wigan are being balloted for strike action after being told to work late on Fridays, according to Unite.
Lincolnshire health visitors to strike amid pay dispute with council 19/11/2019 A number of health visitors in Lincolnshire started a month-long strike yesterday over what they describe as the council’s ‘divide and rule’ policy.
Library strike ‘longest-running employment dispute of modern times’ 13/11/2019 A strike by library workers in Bromley, south east London, is set to enter its sixth month.
Union ballots over strike action at Greenwich Council 03/09/2019 Housing employees at Greenwich Council in London are being balloted for strike action over the ending of a productivity agreement.
Lincolnshire health visitors announce new pay strikes 06/08/2019 Unite have announced that health visitors employed by the council will be holding further demonstrations across Lincolnshire as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
Lincolnshire health visitors strike over pay row 16/07/2019 Health visitors in Lincolnshire began strike action yesterday after failing to reach an agreement with the county council over their rate of pay.
Birmingham council apologises to union over waste dispute comments 30/04/2019 Birmingham City Council has apologised to Unite the Union over comments made during the recent protracted dispute with refuse collectors.
Council employees balloted for strike action 15/04/2019 Newham council workers are threatening the council with strike action after the authority proposed a new pay structure that would lead to cuts.
Dundee council workers threaten strike action 02/04/2019 Dundee City Council workers have voted in support of industrial action in response to local authority cuts.
Birmingham council and union ‘welcome’ end to refuse dispute 18/03/2019 Refuse collectors who took part in strikes in Birmingham are to be given £3,500 each in a settlement which both sides say has ended the long-running dispute.
Birmingham refuse strike called off 04/03/2019 Unions called off a planned strike by refuse collectors in Birmingham today after the city council lost a bid to have the action declared illegal.
Birmingham's winter of discontent 15/02/2019 With a series of one-day strikes to go ahead in Birmingham, Mark Whitehead explores what led to this long-running dispute over waste collection.
Union refused an injunction over ongoing bin dispute 15/02/2019 A series of one-day strikes by refuse collectors in Birmingham is set to go ahead next week after a legal challenge by the Unite union failed.
Union seeks injunction against Birmingham in long-running bin dispute 07/02/2019 Unite is taking high court legal action against Birmingham City Council for operating refuse vehicles without safety critical role.
Hundreds of Birmingham refuse workers to strike ‘weekly’ 05/02/2019 Over 300 refuse workers have announced they will begin two days of strike action a week in an escalation of the ongoing industrial dispute with the council.
Glasgow strike settlement: a bumpy road ahead 24/01/2019 Mark Whitehead explores the challenges facing Glasgow City Council following its agreement to settle the £500m equal pay deal.
Council pay offer rejected as union moves towards strike action 09/11/2018 The 3% pay offer for council workers in Scotland has been rejected by members of Unison Scotland.
Glasgow - peace on the horizon? 05/11/2018 Mark Whitehead explores the complexities of an equal pay dispute that led to thousands of women striking last month in Glasgow.
Council pension fund forum calls for Ryanair chair to step down 29/10/2018 An association of council pension funds has called for the replacement of Ryanair’s chair and has urged Michael O’Leary to set out his succession plans.
Glasgow and unions agree meetings to resolve dispute 26/10/2018 Talks following the two-day strike by more than 8,000 women in Glasgow this week were described as positive and constructive by both sides.
Hopes emerge as talks resume following Glasgow strike 25/10/2018 Mark Whitehead explores what led thousands of council staff to strike in Glasgow this week.
Glasgow CC offers ‘olive branch’ in equal pay row 25/10/2018 Talks were taking place today in a bid to settle the equal pay row that led to a two-day strike by more than 8,000 women in Glasgow this week.
Equal pay strike closes council facilities and hundreds of schools 24/10/2018 Unions were today claiming the strike by 8,000 women staff in Glasgow over equal pay was solid and council facilities had shut down as other workers refused to cross picket lines.
Breaking: Council affected by secondary strike action 23/10/2018 The strike by 8,000 women staff in Glasgow over equal pay appeared to be escalating on day one as more workers downed tools to show their support.
Council strike over equal pay goes ahead 23/10/2018 One of the biggest strikes in the UK over equal pay went ahead this morning as thousands of women walked out in the dispute with Glasgow City Council.
Council staff to strike over equal pay claims 22/10/2018 Thousands of women at one of the UK's biggest councils are set to walk out on strike for two days this week over equal pay.
Unions offered new pay rise to avert strike action 14/09/2018 A new pay offer has been put forward by councils in Scotland in a bid to avert industrial action.
Union members to strike at Scottish council over 'savage cuts' 07/06/2018 A third union has voted to take industrial action at East Dunbartonshire Council over proposed changes to terms and conditions including cuts in holiday entitlement.
Outsourced council staff strike over sick pay 09/05/2018 Workers employed under an outsourced council contract to sort out waste for recycling have entered the second week of a strike over sick pay.
Scottish council workers vote to strike against ‘unacceptable cuts’ 24/04/2018 Workers at East Dunbartonshire Council yesterday voted for industrial action against ‘unacceptable cuts’ to staff terms and conditions.
Bromley library staff strike over ‘paltry’ pay offer 28/03/2018 A number of Bromley’s library staff went on strike today in response to what their union describes as a ‘paltry and insulting’ pay offer.
Home carers take Christmas vote to strike 22/12/2017 Care home workers in Birmingham have balloted to go on strike in protest at job losses and new shift patterns.
Union suspends industrial action in Birmingham bin dispute 21/09/2017 Unite has suspended industrial action after the High Court ordered Birmingham City Council to withdraw redundancy notices it had served on 113 refuse workers.
Agreement ending teaching assistant pay dispute in Derby collapses 18/09/2017 An agreement aimed at ending a long-running pay dispute between teaching assistants and Derby council has fallen through raising the threat of further strikes.
Birmingham CC leader’s future in question over bin dispute 05/09/2017 Birmingham City Council leader was battling for his political survival today as he faced down calls to quit over the long-running bin dispute.
Birmingham bin strike to resume after council issues redundancy notices 01/09/2017 Bin workers in Birmingham are back on strike today after an agreement reached with the city council appeared to fall
Birmingham officers in warning over bin deal 25/08/2017 A row is brewing between Birmingham City Council’s management and senior councillors over how to end the long-running industrial dispute with bin men.
Long-running bin strike in Birmingham is called off 17/08/2017 The seven-week bin strike in Birmingham has been suspended after trade union Unite agreed to further negotiations with the council.
Birmingham bin strike could last until Christmas, union warns 14/08/2017 Birmingham City Council has publicly apologised to residents affected by an ongoing bin strike which could last until December.
Council publishes new pay offer to teaching assistants 20/06/2017 Proposals aimed at ending a long-running dispute with teaching assistants in Durham could mean more than three quarters of the staff being given a pay rise.
Council strike averted under new trade union rules 02/06/2017 Industrial action in Scotland over local government pay has been scuppered after a ballot by Unison failed to reach the minimum threshold of the new Trade Union Act.
Refuse collection workers threaten strikes in Birmingham 31/05/2017 Refuse workers in Birmingham have started voting on strike action amid accusations of financial mismanagement and an overspend by the council of nearly £10m.
Wales introduces amendment to protect public sector right to strike 10/05/2017 The Welsh government will introduce a Bill amendment designed to ensure agency workers cannot be recruited to cover the work of public sector employees during industrial action.
Trade union ballots members over strike action 11/04/2017 Scotland’s largest local government trade union is to ballot its members over possible strike action after rejecting the latest pay offer from town halls.
Teaching assistants end long-running pay dispute with council 06/04/2017 Teaching assistants in Derby have voted overwhelmingly to end a ten-month campaign of strike action over pay and working time.
Glasgow council's industrial dispute over IT privatisation resolved 20/01/2017 A dispute over Glasgow City Council’s moves to privatise IT provision has been resolved with union members voting to accept a deal that protects ‘jobs, terms and conditions and current employment status’.
Derby council ‘pointlessly escalating’ pay dispute, union claims 21/10/2016 A union has accused Derby council of ‘inflaming tensions’ over a pay dispute with school support staff, while teaching assistants vote for industrial action in Durham.
London traffic wardens on strike over pay dispute 22/09/2016 Traffic wardens in Hackney have declared a 24 hour strike as part of a pay and victimisation dispute.
Cardiff seeking to protect rights of public sector workers 14/09/2016 The Welsh government has launched proposals to protect the rights of public sector workers in Wales.
Number of staff striking fell to an all-time low last year 02/08/2016 The number of workers taking part in strike action fell to a record low last year, according to official statistics.
Cleansing staff to be balloted on strike action 26/07/2016 Members of the GMB Union at North Lanarkshire Council are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over pay cuts.
Glasgow council workers vote to strike over new conditions 20/05/2016 Members of the GMB union at Glasgow City Council have voted to strike over changes to working arrangements which they say could cost them up to £500 a year each.
Union warns about industrial action over pay deal 12/04/2016 Trade union Unison has warned it will consider taking industrial action after its members rejected the two-year pay offer.
Strikes threatened over slashing of children’s services in PM’s constituency 15/01/2016 Union members threaten strike action over dramatic council cuts to children’s services.
Doncaster council strike averted 04/09/2015 Strike action in Doncaster has been called off, which would have seen up to 200 council staff walk out on the opening day of the St Leger Festival.
Strike plans spark fears of 'stinking bins' in borough 14/08/2015 A borough has been warned it could face 'stinking bins' as 100 refuse collectors plan two days of strikes over a pay dispute.
Unions launch blistering attack on Government’s strike law overhaul 15/07/2015 Unions have warned that a planned Government overhaul of strike laws will make it ‘virtually impossible’ for public sector staff to confront ‘bad employers’.
Union paves the way for illegal strike action 13/07/2015 Britain’s largest union has erased a clause in its rulebook requiring strikes to remain legal, ahead of the introduction of tighter controls on industrial action.
Council urged to vote against £10m property ‘gamble’ 26/06/2015 A trade union has launched a scathing attack on proposals for a council to spend millions on ‘property speculation’ instead of local services.
Union could defy strike laws 15/06/2015 The head of Britain’s largest trade union has said he is not ruling out staging illegal strikes if the Government launches tougher rules on industrial action.
Trade unions blast strike action reforms 28/05/2015 Trade unions have hit out at Government plans to raise the threshold for strike action, announced in yesterday’s Queen’s speech.
Queen's speech 2015: Tougher laws on strike action 27/05/2015 The Conservatives have pledged to ‘protect essential public services against strikes’, using today’s Queen’s Speech to confirm it will set a tougher threshold for industrial action.
Refuse drivers strike in Barking and Dagenham over payments 01/05/2015 An eight-day strike by refuse drivers in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham went ahead today over wage cuts.
Council Tories hit back over 14 day strike fears 22/04/2015 A London borough’s Conservative Group has branded a planned 14-day staff strike over outsourcing fears as ‘left wing dogma’.
No more pay cuts for public sector staff, vow Lib Dems 22/04/2015 Liberal Democrats have promised to end pay cuts for public sector workers if the party takes power in the General Election.
Council refuse workers to protest over holiday pay 21/04/2015 Reigate and Banstead Council has been accused of ‘flouting laws’ surrounding holiday pay for staff who consistently do overtime.
Further 14 days of strikes at council over ‘privatisation’ fears 20/04/2015 A second wave of strikes is to hit a London borough, as both a trade union and the local Labour group hit out against outsourcing.
Union reveals two days of strike action at Barnet Council 17/04/2015 Two days of strike action are to hit a London borough later this month, as staff walk out over contract fears.
Unions fear ‘return to Thatcher’ under Tory strike laws 15/04/2015 Conservative plans to crackdown on strike action by setting tough new voting thresholds have been labelled an attack on ‘democratic and legitimate rights’ by unions.
Strike looms in Barnet over outsourcing ‘obsession’ 09/04/2015 Some 87% of union members at Barnet Council have voted in favour of strike action in protest against plans to outsource key services.
Breaking the strike law? 09/04/2015 Is the stage set for a ‘battle royal’ between unions and government over strike ballots?
Boroughs face staff strike spree as union ‘draws line in sand’ 02/04/2015 A spate of strikes is due to sweep through London boroughs in coming days as staff walk out over pay and privatisation fears.
Pay strike launched by council homelessness staff 01/04/2015 Around 70 Glasgow City Council homelessness staff have walked out of town hall offices over a long-running wage dispute.
Council staff to strike over 'privatisation’ plans 01/04/2015 Council staff in Bromley are to strike for two days over protest at the ‘mass privatisation’ of services.
Council staff balloted for strike action over outsourcing fears 18/03/2015 Council staff in north London are poised to strike over the outsourcing of town hall services, which union bosses claim are causing widespread concern.
Council staff in week-long strike over ‘bullying’ complaints 03/03/2015 A week-long strike is underway at a Scottish council over alleged bullying and intimidation by a town hall manager.
Bromley staff balloted for strike action over ‘privatisation’ plans 27/02/2015 Council staff in Bromley are being balloting for strike action over claims it is to reduce its workforce from 3,000 to 300.
Top 100 local government stories of 2014 16/12/2014 See our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2014, with strike action and pay discontent dominating the headlines.
Surrey care home closure plan prompts protest 05/12/2014 A protest against planned care home closures in Surrey has been announced for this Saturday, as trade unions fear the loss of 427 jobs.
Pay strike called off by unions 09/10/2014 Unions have suspended a planned local government pay strike, which could have seen around a million council employees taking to the streets next week.
Pay strike to hit ‘every area’ of Scotland 06/10/2014 Council staff across Scotland have voted to strike over pay, in a decision expected to affect ‘every area’ of the country later this month.
Council chiefs told to revise pay offer, as strike looms large 01/10/2014 Local government leaders have been urged to 'reconsider' current pay proposals ahead of national strikes by council employees and school support staff.
Council leaders ‘disappointed’ by rejection of new pay deal 29/09/2014 An offer to give council staff a 2.2% pay increase in a bid to avoid further strike action has been rejected, according to council bosses.
Strike action could affect city’s services for ‘months’ 11/09/2014 Workers at Brighton and Hove will this week begin industrial action over pay and allowances, potentially affecting services for ‘months to come’.
Council staff feel ‘locked out’ of economic recovery 21/08/2014 Some 95% of council staff believe the UK’s economic recovery is mainly or only benefiting well-off people, a poll has revealed.
The future of strike action 20/08/2014 How will the Conservatives promise of 'tougher' strike-laws affect local government?
Review of union laws shelved amid over politicisation 06/08/2014 An independent review into laws governing industrial disputes has been dramatically scaled back by its leader over excessive politicisation of the issue.
Council refuses to reinstate firefighter sacked for tweet 04/08/2014 A council has refused to reinstate a firefighter of 25 years’ service who was sacked for tweeting about strike action.
Unions join for second strike date 01/08/2014 Around one million council and school support staff are set to strike this autumn after unions agreed to escalate their dispute over pay.
Doncaster care services face fortnight strike 30/07/2014 Workers at Care UK in Doncaster have begun a two-week strike in a protest over pay.
Strikes to hit councils again 23/07/2014 Council and school support staff will strike again later this year as part of continuing demonstrations over pay.
Tories plan tougher anti-strike laws 18/07/2014 Conservatives have pledged to tighten laws surrounding trade union strikes if they take power in the 2015 General Election.
Council staff hope to avoid further strike action 18/07/2014 More than half of council staff want further strike action to be ruled out following the dispute last Thursday, according to new research.
What did the strike achieve? 17/07/2014 Find out what our readers thought about the effectiveness of striking over pay.
Diary of a strike 16/07/2014 Lindsay Martin shares her diary of striking for the first time.

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