Harlow Council maintenance workers go on strike over pay

Striking maintenance staff have picketed the HTS depot in Harlow in a row over pay

Street cleaners, grass cutters and housing maintenance workers have gone on strike over pay.

Employees of Harlow Trading Services (HTS), a local authority owned company based in Essex, are taking part in the industrial action.

Unite, which is seeking a one-off £3,000 payment and a pay review for staff, said a further two days of action were planned later in February.

HTS and Harlow Council said they were "disappointed" by the action.

The firm employs 328 staff. Additional strike days are planned for the 23 and 28 February.

Bin collections in Harlow would not be affected by the strike action (image shows Broad Walk in Harlow in 2015)

In a statement issued last week, HTS said all staff had received a flat salary rate increase of £1,925 at the end of last year, but that the Unite union had asked for a £3,000 lump sum for its members.

Unite said a multi-skilled worker earned about £27,000, but that was less than staff working in other areas of the country.

"It is a lot lower. The reason for that is that HTS or Harlow Council haven't evaluated it," said Michelle Cook of Unite.

Bosses claimed the payment being sought would cost the council-owned firm £1m.

John Phillips, HTS Group managing director said: "HTS, like most companies, are on a fixed income. The company's electric bill, fuel bills, are well above inflation and we need to manage those.

"So there's not perhaps the wriggle room the unions believe there is."

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The Conservative-led council said it had plans "in place" to run essential services during the industrial action.

Bin collections, which are provided by the company Veolia, will not be affected.

Refuse collectors in Harlow dropped planned strike action in July planned action was scrapped after workers secured a 9% pay rise.