No plans for further Shropshire Council strikes
Wednesday 28th September 2011, 2:30PM BST.
Union chiefs this afternoon said there were no plans for further strike action over proposals by Shropshire Council to cut staff pay by 5.4 per cent.
Hundreds of council workers staged a day-long walkout last Thursday, with leisure centres, libraries and day centres for older people and adults with learning difficulties forced to close across the county.
The action centred on a dispute between the council and Unison over the proposed pay cut and new terms and conditions.
But Alan James, branch secretary of Shropshire Unison, today said he was confident an agreement between the two parties could now be struck and further industrial action avoided.
“We do have a programme of industrial action planned through the 28-day period from the ballot. But as a sign of good intent and goodwill we will be suspending all that, pending the outcome of talks,” he said.
Mr James is due to meet with council leader Keith Barrow in the next 24 hours.
Councillor Barrow said: “We have had consultation with the union and I have spoken to Alan James already.
“I am incredibly hopeful we can get it sorted.”
Shropshire Council plans to dismiss all its 6,500 staff on Friday, re-employing them the following day if they agree to new terms, which include an initial 2.7 per cent pay cut this year, followed by a salary reduction of the same amount in 12 months’ time.
The authority said the move was necessary to help it make millions of pounds in savings.
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So it’s all resolved then is it. The unions won and the pay cut has been fought off?. Cool. Vive la Unison!.
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So have plans for the pay cut been scrapped?. This article says nothing.
So one of two things has happened here. Either the weight of feeling and strength of unity brought upon the leadership of Shropshire Council has been so overwhelming as to bring about a swift and sudden climb down after months of deadlock resulting in a rethink of the pay cut plans or Unison have backed off and reduced the pressure after sitting back down at the negotiating table. I hope I’m wrong but surely if you’re resuming talks its a result of the action taken and you would want to do so from a position of strength?. Keep the pressure up.
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think it was the tret of loosing their office which made them see sense.
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