Parking wardens in the London borough of Camden have overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action, in an attempt to twist the council’s arm over pay rises.
Every traffic warden balloted by Camden Unison voted in favour of putting down their ticket machines until the pay dispute was resolved.
Unison chiefs have relayed demands from its members who are fed up with the level of pay offered by Camden Council’s private contractor, NSL.
Camden Unison branch secretary, Liz Wheatley, has been bullish about the wardens’ prospects, announcing they would be “striking to win from day one”.
Liz Wheatley
Camden Unison
Meanwhile, the council has expressed hope that drivers will still observe parking and traffic rules during the strike action.
The union has called for pay to be hiked from £12.70 to £15.90 an hour.
It has dismissed NSL’s most recent offer of a 4.5 per cent increase of 57p to £13.27 an hour.
Wheatley has raised concerns about the threats of violence and levels of racist abuse lobbied at parking wardens and 'civil enforcement officers' going about their daily lives.
Wheatley told Camden New Journal: “It’s very unusual to have indefinite strike action. It means NSL will not just be able to wait and stick it out.
A parking warden takes a vehicle's details in Covent Garden, London.
PA
“It was a 73 per cent turnout and having 100 per cent support is very unusual.”
She added: “I’m really proud of our Unison members working for NSL here in Camden.
“They work long hours doing a difficult job and face racist abuse carrying out their work.
“They deserve decent pay, and they’ve sent out a clear message that they are organised and prepared to strike to win it.”
Wheatley highlighted how 2023 had been designated the ‘Year of the Black Worker in Unison,’ where union attention is especially given to campaigning against low pay that disproportionately affects black workers.
Ambulance workers on the picket line in Bournemouth, Dorset, during a strike by members of the Unison union in the long-running dispute over pay and staffing on 10 February 2023.
PA
Camden Council makes around £40,000 a day from parking penalty charge notices in a surplus that is purportedly invested back into parking service operations.
An NSL spokesperson: “The staff are currently on a salary well above London Living Wage and, whilst we agree they should receive an uplift, the union’s position of a minimum that will be considered is a 25 per cent increase and therefore not affordable.
“It is unfortunate that the union has chosen to go on an indefinite strike as part of this process and we remain open to hearing a proposal that is achievable.
“Should the strike go ahead, we will work with the council to minimise disruption.”
A Camden Council spokesperson said: “We continue to support both parties, [and] urge them to come to an agreement and to resolve this dispute as swiftly as possible.
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Ambulance workers on the picket line outside London Ambulance Service NHS Trust control room in Waterloo, London as part of continued industrial action in the health service.
PA
“We would like to remind residents, business and visitors that they should continue to park correctly and adhere to parking restrictions to avoid any possible penalty charge notices.”
In 2018, wardens on a wage of £10 an hour in Camden went on strike for 33 days in what turned out to be a successful dispute with NSL over pay.
NSL is a subsidiary of the larger Marston holdings, which provides debt collections services to courts and local authorities across the country.
In a leaflet, Camden Unison added: “Whilst they know they aren’t the most popular public servants in the country they do an important job, often in harsh weather conditions and unfortunately often facing verbal and physical abuse from members of the public.”