About 120 housing carpenters, electricians and plumbers based at the council’s Birchmere depot were due to hold the first of five days of strike action on Monday 28th October.
They were aggrieved by a proposed new pay structure that they said woul dcut their pay by up to 20%. However, through their trade union, Unite, they have now secured changes that address their concerns.
Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “Following negotiations yesterday, the employers have agreed to amend their proposals in key areas. In summary, the instances where our members’ pay can drop will be minimised. There will be ‘pay protection’ and, most importantly, no imposition of any changes while talks continue.
“This will include a joint review with the earliest date for any change being March 2020. As a result, the strike action has been suspended.
“This was negotiated by the Unite Greenwich branch which has done an excellent job, not just to negotiate the agreement and secure a win, but it has also won a commitment to bring even more work back in-house. This should set an example to other Labour councils up and down the country to bring all work back under local authority management.
“We hope this resolution will herald a new era of better employment relations with the Royal Borough of Greenwich management.”
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