Liverpool City Council faces strike action

Strike action by around 600 Interserve staff at Liverpool City Council is "almost inevitable", according to the TGWU this week.

Following a meeting attended by 450 workers last week, there was 100% support for a ballot for strike action after Interserve announced 63 redundancies (CJ 6 August) on its seven-year housing contract with the council.

The council has now been given seven days' notice of the ballot by TGWU, which could be held as soon as next week. Strike action could take place in a fortnight.

"The chances of preventing strike action is very remote," said TGWU national secretary Bob Blackman. "The council claims that it is a third party in this and says the disagreement is between the contractor and its workers. This is nonsense. The council is the client and the paymaster."

Earlier this year the council cut back its spend on the contract, forcing Interserve to make the redundancies.