THE leader of Thurrock Council's Labour opposition group CllrJohn Kent, has urged the authority's Conservative leader to intervene in the dispute between the council and front line workers.

A strike by staff in the council's environment department, including refuse collection workers and street cleaners, could be just days away - and other members of the council workforce have indicated their unhappiness with the authority and its officer leadership.

The environment department strike involves members of the Unite union, who have backed industrial action over changes to their pay and conditions in a ballot. And the GMB union, which represents many other workers, including front line care staff, has also spoken of its members' discontent.

No official date for strike action has yet been set but it could be within a couple of weeks.

Cllr Kent said: "All through the pandemic our front line workers carried on working day in and day out to providing vital public services, only for the Thurrock Conservatives to reward them by threatening to cut their pay and conditions.

"What they call 'allowances' are, in fact, the hard won terms and conditions of lower paid workers such as overtime rates, night shift rates and time to maintain vehicles.

"This is not just about our refuse workers, If local Conservatives force through these cuts front line workers in social care and those who staff the Careline alarm system 24/7, also face cuts in their pay and conditions.

"Some of the council's lowest paid workers could see pay cuts of between £1,000 and £4,000. It's simply unacceptable for any worker to be treated in this way, but for those who pretty much kept Thurrock going over the past year, it is outrageous!

"If Conservative councillors press ahead with these proposals knowing the kind of hardship these cuts could cause to these workers and their families - what does it reveal about these Tories' true values?

"I have written to the leader of the council asking him to do the right thing and show some leadership by intervening to halt this process and resolve this dispute."

Thurrock Council has declined to comment on all matters relating to a possible strike, saying: "In relation to discussions with trade unions the council will not comment publicly on this matter". We have asked Cllr Rob Gledhill, leader of the Conservative group, for his comments.