Trevor Palmer, Stevenage Socialist Party
On 25 May, 40-50 members of Unite the Union and their supporters protested at the council offices in Harlow, Essex, before the council meeting.
300 workers are in dispute over pay, with strike days having taken place over the last four months. Strike days have included a march through the town centre in April. Workers voted 87% for strike action.
These workers provide essential repair and maintenance works for Harlow’s council housing stock, as well as cleaning and maintenance of council grounds and buildings. They mostly earn less than £12 an hour and many are using food banks.
The workers are employed by HTS, an ‘arm’s length’ outsourced company, which is wholly owned by Harlow District Council with a board of directors made up of councillors.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said at the start of the dispute: “Harlow council is fooling nobody. It is using HTS to keep these workers on inferior pay, terms and conditions. HTS is Harlow council’s company and this dispute is the council’s responsibility.”
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab added: “Harlow council’s deliberate and needless curbing of HTS’ workers’ wages is the ugly face of outsourcing.”
Harlow is a Tory council but the 12 Labour councillors should be demanding all such services are immediately brought back in-house and the workers paid a minimum of £15 an hour.
