East Dunbartonshire: Mass support for council workers’ strike

Matt Dobson reports 

A four day council workers’ strike in East Dunbartonshire has begun with members of Unison, Unite and the GMB taking action. This is in response to an onslaught on workers’ terms and conditions by the Tory/Lib Dem council administration.

The attacks include the removal of three days of annual leave, increasing the notional working day and reducing the time when unsocial hours payments apply. Removal of enhanced overtime and cuts to the redundancy payments framework open the way to compulsory redundancies.

48 hours before the strike action began the council offered to just cut one day of annual leave and small concessions on other issues. Council workers, with 500 at each mass meeting, were consulted and rejected the proposal. The determination of workers was reflected in the fact that all three unions involved returned 90% plus majorities in favour of strike action. 

Services shutdown

Day one of the strike saw a massive mobilisation. East Dunbartonshire covers the suburbs of Glasgow and surrounding towns, effectively it was a large scale public sector shutdown in this area.

All schools, libraries, leisure centres and council offices and buildings were closed. In Kirkintilloch there were pickets on seemingly every street. Pickets and union stewards told us that this was the biggest strike mobilisation since the pensions dispute in 2011, possibly bigger.

The unions have been inundated with new members since the strike ballots started and action was called. New members were joining the day before the strike to take part in the strike. Kirkintilloch miners club opened its doors and refreshed pickets at no cost.

A huge rally took place at the Marina council headquarters in the evening. Over 2,000 attended, with strikers, workers’ families and supporters taking up the whole road.

Tory and Liberal councillors were booed as they entered for a council meeting.

The local labour movement mobilised in support with banners from East Dunbartonshire EIS, Glasgow City Unison, Unison NHS branch, the STUC, Unite West Dunbartonshire and Joint Trade Unions and PCS. Solidarity has poured in with socialist-led Glasgow City Unison donating to the strike fund.

Reps from all three trade unions spoke.

Thomas Robertson from East Dunbartonshire Unison said: “ Thanks to all who have supported us including the miners club. The council have tried to mobilise parents against us with misinformation. We had a poor offer earlier in the week. We put it to the members and they on mass rejected it”

Hazel Nolan, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “These cuts are a political choice. All the parties in the council have responsibility. We will not accept any cuts to annual leave not three days or one day!” 

Kenny Jordan, Unite industrial officer, declared: “Unite members at East Dunbartonshire Council have shown their resolution by strongly voting for industrial action.“The savage cuts being proposed to terms and conditions, and making our members work harder and longer for less will not go unopposed.”

Consideration will have to be given to escalating the strike action, possibly to a week-long walk out, if the council do not back down. East Dunbartonshire council workers are fighting for us all. East Dunbartonshire Unison have summed this up in the slogan “If we let this go, they will come back for more and more”. 

No cuts budgets

Councils across Scotland are watching this dispute. Defeat could encourage other anti-trade union administrations. Victory would inspire every trade unionist. This strike, with it’s large scale mobilisation, sheer enthusiasm and co-ordination, even in a small local authority, shows the potential if only the TUC/STUC called co-ordinated strike action across the public sector.    

This strike also raises important political questions. The SNP and Labour have publicly supported the strike. This is while making cuts and attacking workers’ terms and conditions in other Scottish councils such as neighbouring West Dunbartonshire (SNP) and North Lanarkshire (Labour).

In East Dunbartonshire the SNP won the last council election and ran a minority administration until December 2017, facing constant blocks on the budget from the Tories and Lib Dems. They then resigned and the Con Dem’s took control. The SNP should have set a no cuts budget, utilising all financial mechanisms and built a mass fightback for more funds for East Dunbartonshire rather than resign and let the Con Dems wreak havoc. 

Send solidarity messages to:

 email: Sharon.Souter@eastdunbarton.gov.uk Phone 0141 578 8058 

Donations to: Industrial Action Account East Dunbartonshire Unison

Sort Code: 086001

Account No. 20075332

Email Janice Campbell to let them know of your donationJanice.Campbell@eastdunbarton.gov.uk