Environment agency workers begin fresh wave of industrial action

Today thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers in England will stop weekend attendance at incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping. The industrial action is set to continue for three weeks, with workers refusing to volunteer for ‘on call’ cover between Friday evening and Monday morning. Where there is a threat to life from incidents such as a major flood, officers will step in as emergency ‘life and limb cover’ has been agreed by the union. This new wave of industrial action follows a 12-hour walk out in February (pictured), when workers attended pickets outside the Environment Agency’s Marsham Street offices in London. UNISON members working at the agency have seen pay fall since 2011, meaning that staff effectively work one day a week for free. Members have been taking last resort industrial action since December 2022, after the organisation failed to offer a fair pay rise in the face of soaring household bills and inflation. UNISON National Secretary for the Environment Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “UNISON has maintained that pay in the Agency has fallen behind – and for the lowest paid wages will fall below the National Living Wage. This is a disgrace – and action needs to be taken now for all staff to get the pay they deserve. “We call on the government to enable the Environment Agency to look at innovative ways to resolve the dispute quickly to prevent further disruption – such as the approach th...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article News environment agency Environment agency strike Source Type: news