LEWISHAM COUNCIL employees are to vote on strike action over its “cynical and petty union-busting agenda,” their union has revealed.
Unison said the Labour-run council in south-east London had made moves to sack several employees, including both of its branch secretaries, after announcing £25 million of cuts in June.
The union’s joint branch secretary, Jay Kidd-Morton, is facing dismissal alongside the rest of her overwhelmingly black and Asian team in the legal services department, despite no allegation of wrongdoing, Unison said.
The council has also moved to delete joint branch secretary Justine Canady’s substantive post in fostering recruitment while she is on full-time release for union activities, insisting that this would result in her being removed as branch secretary as well, the union said.
Ms Canady said: “I love working at Lewisham and I’m shocked at the way I’ve been treated.
“It is saddening and disappointing that Lewisham Council management have failed to engage seriously with their main trade union and are attempting to move ahead with such a blatant victimisation of union reps.
“We have no choice but to move ahead with a strike ballot. For the sake of residents, I hope that the council listens and scraps its plans to sack us before strike action takes place.”
The ballot will run from August 27 until September 24. If successful, strike action will begin from mid-October.
Unison Local Government Service Group executive member Ed Whitby said Lewisham’s council bosses were putting the delivery of local services at risk “in order to pursue a cynical and petty union-busting agenda.”
“Unison will not allow activists to be victimised in this way,” he added.
“Every single one of Lewisham’s councillors has a duty to intervene now, to ensure that these sackings are rescinded.”
A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said: “We strongly refute these claims.
“We cannot comment on specific employment issues but can confirm we are following our normal HR processes, as we would for any member of staff in similar circumstances.“
