Impending Strike Lifted In East Dunbartonshire

Impending Strike Lifted In East Dunbartonshire As Council Meet Unions Halfway

GMB Scotland has agreed to lift plans for council wide strike action affecting East Dunbartonshire Council, over plans to slash redundancy entitlements from 10 added years and 66 weeks, to 3.5 and 45 weeks.

GMB Scotland members in East Dunbartonshire have been embroiled in a dispute with the council since before the summer on plans to slash annual leave, overtime, and redundancy conditions.

However in the wake of strike action over the summer the council dropped plans to reduce annual leave and overtime payments.

With East Dunbartonshire due to be hit on Wednesday by its 5th day of strike action since June, council officials agreed to row back from their plans to bring East Dunbartonshire Council to the bottom of the pile in Scottish local government when it comes to redundancy packages.

GMB Scotland has agreed to call off the action due this Wednesday in reaction to the council meeting the unions half way on the new revised offer of 5 added years and 52 weeks.

GMB Scotland Organiser Hazel Nolan said: “Let's be clear that this offer is still cutting by half the amount members are currently entitled to reach in terms of redundancy.

GMB is therefore not in a position to recommend this to our members, however we acknowledge that at this time it is the best that can be achieved through negotiations.

If it wasn't for the action the members had taken, then workers in East Dunbartonshire would today be faced with having the worst redundancy conditions of any council in Scotland.

Instead the Council has been forced to revise their position on redundancy conditions, and scrap their plans to slash annual leave and overtime payments.”

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Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser Hazel Nolan on 07921 885786 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications on 07976 447077.