Management agree to all the demands, strike action suspended

With the threat of a day of strike action at the Civic Centre looming, we finally received an external report into the failure to grant flexible working to the Technical Services and Capital Works team.

The report fully vindicates everything that UNISON and the staff have been saying.

As a meeting with senior managers late Thursday afternoon we agreed an implementation timetable for the recommendations outlined in the report. The staff involved will also be getting a letter of apology from the council for the way they were treated.

As a result the strike is suspended.

The dispute has not ended yet however, we still have a mandate for strike action and the teams are willing to take industrial action if the recommendations are not properly implemented.

Importantly the report recommends a widespread cultural change at Lambeth Council to address the issue that many managers are not properly implementing the Smarter Flexible Working policy.

UNISON will expect to see significant changes over the coming months on this issue for all staff who have been arbitrarily denied flexible working.

So if you see UNISON members in the Technical Services and Capital Works say thanks – because of their determination and their brave stand we are making progress for all staff.

Any questions please email Ruth (Rcashman@Lambeth.gov.uk) or Simon (Shannah@lambeth.gov.uk)