Midlothian set to strike over Single Status

by John Stevenson

Midlothian Council members were set to start selective strike action as SiU went to press after Single Status talks faltered. IT support and inquiry and collection staff were due to walk out on 15 December in the long-running dispute.

Branch Secretary Lesley Greig said: “We have been forced into this action but we hope that continuing talks will deliver a deal we can put to our members.”

Staff were balloted in September after months of talks. The council previously threatened to withdraw an offer if the union did not recommend it and then issued 90 day notices to impose the scheme.

“After the ballot ‘yes’ vote, talks started again and significant progress was made”, explained Lesley. “However the council failed to come up with a proposal before the deadline for action of 28 November."

A ‘progress report’ from the council on 8 December still failed to meet the union’s aims. The action now has to go ahead to meet legal timescales but the union is still hopeful that progress can be made.

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