Unison workers strike

1:29pm Wednesday 16th July 2008

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MORE than 500 council workers in Hampshire are taking part in a 48 hour strike which began today(July 16).

Caretakers, cooks, librarians, social workers, lollipop ladies, architects, binmen and cleaners are among 500,000 workers on strike across the country over a below-inflation 2.45 per cent pay offer.

Osborne School in Andover Road, Winchester, which has about 156 children aged 11-18 with special needs on roll is closed today and tomorrow as teaching assistants joined the walkout.

The strike in Hampshire shut eight schools, 10 libraries, including the flagship Gosport Discovery Centre, and two mobile libraries.

Eastleigh's Hexagon Day Centre for the physically disabled was also closed by the stoppage.

A spokesman for Eastleigh Borough Council estimated that up to 60 of its 560 employees had gone on strike. He said, as a result, some rubbish collections would be delayed but that they would have caught up by Saturday.

Winchester City Council said 16 of its employees had walked out, while no one from Serco, which is responsible for the city's refuse collections, supported the strike.

In Winchester, Unison set up picket lines at most of the county council's offices, including its headquarters in Castle Lane and other major offices, including Hampshire Record Office in Sussex Street and social services, in Andover Road before about 100 marched along the High Street.

Rolli Rowlands, branch secretary for Unison at Hampshire County Council, said more than 70 per cent of its members had supported the strike, amounting to 15 per cent of the council's 27,000 workforce.

He said: "We'll hopefully sit down and talk and negotiate a better deal with the local government and hopefully this strike will put us in a better position to have meaningful consultation with them.

"Striking is the last resort it's something we don't want to do. When you ask someone on six pounds an hour to go out on strike it's really painful for them."

He added union members providing care or nursing services were asked not to strike so as not to put any members of the community at risk.

But a county council spokesman said the effects were "minimal."

Council managers estimate about 414 staff, excluding schools, took part.

A council spokesman said: "The impact of the UNISON and UNITE strike on Hampshire County Council's services is minimal, and frontline essential services continue to be provided as usual."

The public sector union is planning a further strike in September over local government pay if its six per cent claim is not met.

Teachers are not involved in the strike.

Mr Rowlands said: "It is more common for special schools to close because they rely the most on teaching assistants.

"Heads have to assess the health and safety of staff and pupils who remain at the school because if they are injured due to insufficient staffing levels it could put the school in jeopardy."

About three staff at Lanterns Children Centre in Bereweeke Road, Weeke, went on strike but temporary cover was organised and neither the pre-school or day centre was disrupted.

Leader of Hampshire County Council Cllr Ken Thornber, said: "Our priority is to the vulnerable people of Hampshire and children in our care and the county council will do everything possible to ensure that they will be well looked after throughout the period of industrial action."

Mr Thornber said a letter had been sent to all employees to inform them of the "employment effects of participation in the action."

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said: "The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies.

"The cost of everyday essentials like milk, bread, petrol, gas and electricity are going through the roof. Our members cannot afford to take another cut in their pay."

* Meanwhile a separate strike by staff at Hampshire Police's control centre at Netley, which was due to start tomorrow (July 17) over changes to shift arrangements, was suspended on Monday (July 14) so Unison members can be balloted on the employer's latest offer.