Parking enforcement in a South East London borough has ground to a halt as traffic wardens begin a four-day walkout in a bitter pay dispute. Civil Enforcement Officers employed by outsourced contractor APCOA on behalf of Bromley Council started their industrial action today, which will continue until Friday, January 9.
Strike Escalates Over 'Poverty Wages'
This latest action brings the total days of strike action by the GMB Union members to ten. The core of the dispute centres on pay, with APCOA offering £13 per hour. The union has branded this 'unacceptable' as it falls significantly below the London Living Wage of £14.80 per hour.
Craig Prickett, GMB Regional Organiser, stated: 'Bromley Council cannot keep hiding behind outsourcing arrangements. These workers are enforcing the council's parking policies, generating significant revenue on their behalf, yet they are being paid poverty wages.' He emphasised that the dispute could be resolved at any time if the council and APCOA were willing to meet the workers' demands.
Financial Implications and Council Response
The union has raised serious questions about the cost of the ongoing dispute to the public purse. They are demanding to know how much parking revenue Bromley Council has already lost due to strikes and how much is being spent on temporary cover, including hotel and travel costs for replacement staff.
A key consequence of this strike is that wardens will not issue any Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to motorists who violate parking regulations during the four-day period. However, a spokesperson for Bromley Council sought to reassure drivers, stating: 'Motorists should also note that the borough's streets will continue to be patrolled by other members of the APCOA team.' The council maintains that the strikes will not affect their overall service level.
A Long-Running Dispute
The conflict has been simmering for months. Back in November, GMB members in Bromley voted unanimously for industrial action after 97% of them rejected APCOA's offer of a 50p hourly increase. The turnout for that strike ballot was 72%.
Previous strike action took place in December, with dozens of wardens protesting outside a full council meeting. At the time, Prickett highlighted the disparity between the service's income and workers' pay, noting: 'Bromley's PCN income has surged and APCOA has received more than £5.3 million in inflation uplifts, yet some of the officers delivering this service are using food banks and working multiple jobs.'
The union argues that much of the previously rejected pay rise would only have lifted some staff just above the national minimum wage, meaning the company was attempting to present a statutory requirement as a pay increase. The GMB also reports that they have heard nothing from APCOA since initial talks broke down in November, where the union had tabled a demand for a £17 per hour wage for its members.
