Strike Threat Lifted In East Dunbartonshire As Council Begin Cuts Climb-Down

Strike Threat Lifted In East Dunbartonshire As Council Begin Cuts Climb-Down

GMB Scotland has this evening (Wednesday 11 July) lifted plans for four days of strike action affecting waste and recycling services after a sudden climb-down by East Dunbartonshire Council over cuts to staff terms and conditions. 

With strike action due to start at midnight, council officials agreed to reverse their decision to cut overtime allowances, annual leave entitlement and changes to the notional working day, restoring hundreds of pounds in real terms earnings to staff.

Negotiations over the council’s cuts to redundancy entitlement will continue, with EDC officials accepting GMB’s deadline of Monday 23 July to reach a resolution, while protecting GMB's industrial action mandate and maintaining an overtime ban across the council's services.

GMB Scotland Organiser Hazel Nolan said: “Make no mistake that GMB members have led from the front to defend their interests while councillors who bulldozed through these cuts tried to duck their responsibilities.

We still have some road to travel to restore our members’ full redundancy entitlements but if the council do the right thing in these negotiations then the threat of any future industrial action will be lifted. The ball is very much in their court.

This evening’s climb-down should send out a clear message that the rights of our members must be respected and that after ten years of austerity, ‘enough is enough’ of council cuts.”

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