Gritters in Carmarthenshire will not be taking industrial on Monday January 17 as planned.
UNISON, along with GMB and Unite, held two days of strike action earlier this month and had planned a further week of walk outs to run from Monday January 17 to Friday January 21.
Strike action will now run from Tuesday January 18 to Friday January 21 with talks between union representatives and Carmarthenshire Council now scheduled for Tuesday January 18 in the hope of finding a solution.
UNISON branch secretary Mark Evans said: “This offer of talks (if the council is prepared to change its position) shows that two days of action has more effect on the council than two years of negotiations.
“We welcome that the council is now prepared to talk but we have asked for reassurances that it is serious about finding a positive solution for our members i.e., adhering to the winter gritting collective agreement and we have called for the council’s Cabinet member for Environmental Services to be present.
“We were asked whether we were prepared to postpone further industrial action by ACAS pending talks. Considering industrial action forced the council to offer to meet again all three unions were not prepared to postpone all the industrial action that was planned. But as a goodwill gesture we said we were prepared to postpone action for the Monday January 17 only, action will continue to take place from Tuesday January 18 to Friday January 21 if the council is not serious about ending the dispute.
“The overtime ban and picket lines will still be taking place on the above dates to ensure we keep the pressure up on the council to change its stance.
“It is our expectation that the council will be bring positive proposals to the meeting on Tuesday January 18, that they are from now on are going to adhere to the winter gritting collective agreement. If this proves not be the case, then the dispute will continue with the action already planned taking place.”
