Workers Revolutionary Party
WORKERS who carry out vital services for Norwich City Council have overwhelmingly voted for industrial action.
In the Unite ballot 83% of the workers backed industrial action on a 90 per cent turnout and Unison members voted 81 per cent in favour of strike action on a turnout of 84 per cent.
Unite and Unison will now begin preparations to announce strike dates at the council’s new arm’s length company called Norwich City Services Ltd (NCSL) in a dispute over pay and conditions.
The unions have been in discussions since 2018 with Norwich City Council (NCC) regarding the formation of the new arm’s length company NCSL. The company has been set up to bring services, including ground maintenance and street cleaning which had been outsourced to Norse, back in-house.
In the Unite ballot, 83pc backed industrial action on a 90pc turnout and Unison members voted 81pc in favour on an 84pc turnout.
The unions said, prior to transfer, they held meetings with council leader Alan Waters and city council officer Anton Bull.
They say they were told the new service would be significantly different to Norse, and that it would work with the unions to harmonise pay and conditions with city council colleagues.
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But the unions say they have had a letter from Hannah Leys, managing director of the NCSL board, stating it is not our goal to aim for the harmonisation with Norwich City Council terms and conditions .
In the Unite ballot, 83pc backed industrial action on a 90pc turnout and Unison members voted 81pc in favour on an 84pc turnout.
The unions said, prior to transfer, they held meetings with council leader Alan Waters and city council officer Anton Bull.
They say they were told the new service would be significantly different to Norse, and that it would work with the unions to harmonise pay and conditions with city council colleagues.
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But the unions say they have had a letter from Hannah Leys, managing director of the NCSL board, stating it is not our goal to aim for the harmonisation with Norwich City Council terms and conditions .
This newspaper put a string of questions to Norwich City Council and to leader Alan Waters.
The council issued a statement, rather than responding directly to each question asked, including those about pension arrangements and whether it agreed the unions had been told the goal was to work towards harmonisation.
A spokesperson for Norwich City Council: “We are disappointed by the response to the improved pay offer for those colleagues who recently transferred to the council’s new company.
“We have kept our promise that the company will improve the terms and conditions of staff. This pay offer places the workforce of the new company on better terms and conditions on day one of joining the company compared to the terms and conditions they previously had as part of the Norse joint venture.