EDF strike suspended

Two days of strike action by EDF Energy staff that would have affected the rollout of a Smart meter installation programme across London and southern and western England have been suspended for negotiations to take place.

Nearly 500 Unite members were due to strike for 24 hours from just past midnight tomorrow (August 12) and at the same time on Thursday, August 20.

Meter readers and fixers, office staff and managers are in a dispute over pay cuts, job losses and working extended hours to install the meters. If the proposals were allowed to go through some staff would lose up to ÂŁ6,000 a year in income.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab confirmed that the strikes had been suspended following an offer on talks.

“The employers are offering to hear our grievances via a two person panel,” he explained. “One will be from the trade union side and the other will represent management.

“We are going to meet the employer on Thursday (August 13) to agree terms of reference for the panel,” he added. “Unite will be entering into these negotiations in a constructive and meaningful fashion.”

Unite members had voted by a margin of 85 per cent for strike action and 92 per cent were in favour of industrial action short of a strike.

The dispute centres on a list of issues including extending working hours to install Smart meters, but withdrawing the London allowance which could mean a pay cut of up to ÂŁ6,000.

Unite members are also concerned about lack of pay awards for staff on personal contracts, despite management saying performance pay should be awarded if targets are met.

Job losses caused by managers applying for their own jobs and if rejected, facing potential unemployment was another grievance that Unite has raised in the dispute.

The EDF Energy sites that would have been affected by strike action are:

Broadway, Bexley Heath, Kent, DA6 8ET; Georgiana Street, London NW1 0QS; Three Bridges, Crawley RH10 1QQ; Speedwell, Bristol BS15 1NT; Osprey Road, Exeter EX2 7WN; Exeter Business Park, Exeter EX1 3UT; Outland Road, Plymouth PL3 5TU; Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 5S; and Canning Town, London E16 4TL

Stay tuned on UNITElive for the latest on this dispute as negotiations begin.