Staff threatened ‘indefinite’ industrial action

PARKING wardens are returning to work today (Thursday) after securing a £5,000 pay rise through collective strike action.

Victory was declared by Camden Unison after two months of pickets and protests which demanded the council’s private contractors improved wages.

NSL had been told their staff were willing to take an indefinite amount of industrial action.

This left the company and the council sustaining heavy losses from money normally collected from the thousands of parking contraventions in the borough every month. Camden had been unable to process most of the fines including those picked up on CCTV cameras.

Each year Camden makes around £16million from around 300,000 penalty charge notices alone.

The wardens’ success is also being held up as an example for workers in other fields who are taking strike action amid the cost of living ­crisis against profit-making companies.

“It’s clear that striking works as without the determined, indefinite action from our members, they wouldn’t have got this offer,” said Unison branch secretary Liz Wheatley.

“Our traffic wardens have won a huge victory in their fight for decent pay. An overwhelming majority of members voted to accept a pay offer that takes their salary up to £15 an hour this year, and then with significant rises for the following two years.”

She added: “Throughout the strike, they stood together on the picket lines, protesting through Camden and outside the council’s offices.

“They leafleted residents, and joined up with striking St Mungo’s workers and RMT members on their picket lines to unite the fights and took their campaign to the company HQ in Birmingham.”

The parking wardens had been calling for £15.90 an hour – a raise from £12.70 an hour that NSL had insisted was “unreasonable” at the start of the standoff.  They have now agreed to increase pay from £12.70 to £15, rising to £15.90 next year and £16.50 the year after.

NSL’s original pay offer, which triggered the strike, was for only for an extra 57p an hour.

The rise secured will amount to a £5,000 annual pay rise, Ms Wheatley said.

The New Journal reported from protests and picket lines in Camden during the past nine weeks, including when wardens rallied outside the headquarters of NSL’s parent company, the bailiff giant Marston.

There was pressure on Camden Council to intervene and not wash its hands of responsibility for the dispute having entered into the contract with the company.

The council had started out by urging the union and NSL to reach an agreement, but following pressure in the New Journal it is understood the leader of the council, Labour councillor Georgia Gould, contacted the company directly.

Funds from penalty charge notices go into a council pot called the “parking surplus” that is supposed to be ring-fenced to pay for roads’ maintenance and improvements.

The traffic wardens’ strike was run at the same as a similar indefinite walkout by St Mungo’s charity workers over pay – which also led to a settlement and wage increases.

Unison’s London regional organiser Steve Terry said: “Camden traffic wardens have shown courage and resilience throughout the dispute and can be proud of this achievement.”

A Marston Holdings spokesman said: “We are pleased an agreement has been reached, and that our staff are returning to work. Civil enforcement officers play a vital role in keeping our streets and communities safe and we look forward to continuing the good work we do in Camden.”

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “Camden Council has been supporting both parties to help bring this strike action to an end, so we are pleased that an agreement has been reached.”