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Lockkeepers prepare for strike ballot amid increasing flood risks

RIVER Thames weir and lockkeepers are preparing to ballot for strike action over increasing flooding risks linked to understaffing of the system.

The GMB union said “budget-driven decisions” are “putting people and property at risk” in a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Workers managing multiple weirs are being denied required one or two-day rest periods between shifts as climate change drives an increase in severe weather and flooding.

GMB national officer Kevin Brandstatter said: “There are only 52 staff doing the work of more than 100 — they simply cannot do the work needed in a safe way. 

“GMB members have bent over backwards to keep their communities safe from flooding, which is not only a threat to property but to life.   

“Their message to Defra is clear: staffing levels are too low and threaten the health and safety of workers and the public.”

The Environment Agency said that the safety of keepers and river users “is a top priority.”

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