Industrial action to hit cleansing services in Chester

Joint action by the local government unions, UNISON, GMB and Unite, is about to hit cleansing services in Cheshire West and Chester City unitary council where a contract dispute has rumbled throughout 2011. Action short of action in the form of an overtime ban in the Streetscene service will kick in over the Xmas bank holiday in response to the Tory led authority imposing inferior contracts such as a 7 day working week rota system which would include removing the enhancements for working weekends and bank holidays, and involve staff having the majority of their annual leave days fixed by management.
A branch wide ballot for industrial action is expected to be held by UNISON early in the New Year:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-16315084

Street Cleansing Crews not Cameron's 'Broom Army' were the real clean up heroes

In the Commons emergency debate on the riots the Prime Minister was quick to talk up the so called 'Broom Army', in his mind no doubt reminiscent of Churchill's army of middle class volunteers mobilised to break the 1926 General Strike. Paul O'Brien of APSE gives credit to the real unsung heroes in the aftermath of the riots - 'the street cleansing crews who returned city centres to some semblance of normality with maximum efficiency and the minimum of fuss':  http://bit.ly/pidyic