THURROCK Council has once again crtiticised workers and the Unite union for taking industrial action because of planned changes to their terms and conditions.

Today (Tuesday, 13 April) saw the beginning of the action and was the subject of an early morning Thurrock Nub News report.

A statement issued this morning from the council, which is not attributed to any individual, reads: "Thurrock Council remains extremely disappointed that Unite the Union has taken its members out on unnecessary, disruptive and potentially damaging and costly strike action from Tuesday, 13 April.

"Discussions are still ongoing with all three trade unions and directly with staff, and the council is urging Unite the Union officials to play a more meaningful role in the ongoing formal consultation process on proposed changes. The review of allowances was an approach agreed fully by all Trade Unions and signed as a collective agreement with the council.

"Continued claims that the council is cutting the annual salary of staff who work in any council service are simply untrue. Proposed changes will impact staff across the council, not just those in the waste service, and for the vast majority this is a positive change.

"Overall the Pay Review, including the current proposed changes to allowances, result in 93 per cent of council staff being better off financially than they were before the pay review began. As part of the consultation the council will look at agreeing an approach to compensate any of the seven per cent of council staff who may end up impacted negatively by the review of allowances.

"Unite the Union have informed the council that their members will be on strike from 9am every working day between Tuesday, 13 April and Friday, 7 May. This means they will be working less than half of their normal collection day which starts at 6am. During that time the council will try to ensure one full round of household waste collections will still take place every day.

"Thurrock Council has contingency plans in place to deal with household waste collections and minimise disruption for residents caused by strike action taken by Unite the Union members in Clean and Green, Highways, and Fleet and Waste teams over the next three weeks.

"The collection of general waste, including food waste, will be prioritised to minimise the impact of the strike for residents. This applies to all households in Thurrock including low and high-rise blocks with communal bin stores.

"During this time please:

• put your bin grey or green bin out for collection on the normal day

• put food waste and smaller items of garden waste in with general waste

• compress recycling as much as possible."

Unite have dismissed the council's claims and say the changes inflict real term pay cuts not just to its workers, but to others in the lower echelons of the council hierarchy, who have been conspicuous by their work on the frontline of the Covid pandemic, while senior officers have stayed at home.

The union, through spokesperson Ciaran Naidoo, issued the following statement: "Council workers providing essential services throughout the pandemic to the residents of Thurrock will strike for three weeks because of Thurrock Council's plans to brutally cut their pay and conditions.

"Refuse workers, highway maintenance and street cleaners, the very workers who have been supporting residents, by providing key services throughout the current health crisis, are furious that they are now the target of proposed cuts of between £2,000 and £3,500 a year for refuse workers, highway maintenance and street cleaners.

"Meanwhile, the council has not proposed any cuts to the pay and conditions of senior management. Lyn Carpenter, the chief executive earns almost £200,000."

Unite regional officer Michelle Cook added: "Unite will not accept these proposals to slash the pay of these council heroes who have provided essential services to the residents of Thurrock throughout this pandemic.

"We have given the council months to rethink these brutal pay cuts which will leave key workers struggling to make ends meet. The council appears to be prepared to disrupt its residents' key services and attack its employees' conditions."

See also: Strike looms following dedlock in negotiations.