Strike over Smart meters

A week-long strike by EDF Energy workers carrying out Smart meter installations will take place next week (January 11), after Acas talks failed to make a break through.

Unite suspended a week’s strike in November for talks with the management to take place under the auspices of Acas, the conciliation service.

But the union said that the talks had broken down and now about 70 staff at EDF headquarters at Bexleyhealth, Kent and Canning Town, east London are due to strike from 00.01 on Monday January 11 until 23.59 on Friday January 15.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said, “Unite went into the Acas talks before Christmas in good faith, but they have been sabotaged by a pig-headed management.

Sticking point

“The main sticking point is the requirement to work regular evenings and weekends as part of the installation of the Smart meter programme. We had an agreement that current staff would not have their working hours altered – the employer has now reneged on this,” he said.

“EDF has also added new items – most controversially ‘telematics’ which is a system for recording every movement of an employee’s working day. Our objection is that this will be used as a device for bullying.

“At the same time as this new performance policy, the employer has said that it expects the union to co-operate with getting rid of staff via this new system.

“What led to the breakdown at Acas was the management adding controversial new issues coupled with a threat to tear up agreements it did not like.

Macho style

“This macho style of management and negotiation has led to next week’s strike.”

The proposals could affect the working conditions of 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.