Energy strike suspended

A week-long strike by EDF Energy workers carrying out Smart meter installations, due to start on Monday (November 30), has been suspended for talks to take place with the conciliation service, Acas.

Unite said today (Friday November 27) that it met the company yesterday and it was agreed that three days of talks would take place under the auspices of Acas on December 8, 9 and 10. As a result, strike action has been suspended.

About 70 staff at EDF headquarters at Bexleyheath (Kent), and Canning Town (east London), were due to strike from 00.01 on Monday November 30 until 23.59 on Friday December 4.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said, “We welcome the forthcoming talks with Acas and so they can take place the week-long strike, due to start on Monday, has been suspended.

“Unite will be entering into these negotiations in a constructive and positive fashion to reach a fair and equable settlement.

“While there is a list of grievances, the most important one for our members is working hours. The company wanted later working and increased Saturday working.

The dispute is multi-layered, and could affect nearly 500 staff across London, and southern and western England.

Highly profitable EDF Energy also wants to close the Bangor Wharf depot in east London, as a prelude to closing all depots with the aim, says the union, of meter staff collecting their equipment from special lockers at supermarkets and petrol stations. Other elements in the dispute are pay cuts and job losses.

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.