Unison to ballot members over working hours at Cardiff City Council

Unison has today notified the Cardiff city council of its intention to hold a ballot of its members over the council’s intention to impose a cut to working hours.

The workforce agreement was approved by the council in February and would see hours reduced from 37 to 36 a week – a loss of almost seven days pay over the year.

Spencer Pearson, Unison Cardiff county branch secretary, said: “It is with regret that we have to resort to industrial action in order to defend our members’ terms and conditions.

“We will be recommending to our members that they vote for industrial action following the council’s attack on their own workforce.

“This attack will not only result in a significant loss for all of our members but inevitably a reduction in the quality of the services that they deliver.

“It is not our members’ fault that the council is in such a financial mess, yet it is them who are expected to pick up the bill for it.

“Unison presented a plan to the council in January of this year which would have got them through the next 12 months without impacting on our members pay, but they weren’t prepared to listen.”

Mr Pearson said representatives from Unison met with the council’s new leader, Councillor Phil Bale, this morning.

He claimed that whilst Coun Bale is keen to resolve the dispute he did not put “anything concrete before us” that they could put to members.

Mr Pearson said: “It is disappointing to note that this was the first meeting despite there being a 45 day consultation period during which Unison requested a meeting with the leader.

“A strike will cause significant disruption to council services and is not a decision taken lightly by our members.

“Our members can be assured that we will do all that we can to resolve the issue. There just needs to be a willingness from the council to resolve it.”