Sandwell Leisure Trust employees to strike within weeks in row over pay
Staff at Sandwell Leisure Trust are striking on Tuesday, May 10, over a pay dispute.
All 280 staff at Sandwell Leisure Trust were fired and rehired to remove them from national pay and now Unison members will strike, alongside members of sister trade unions GMB and Unite in support of a 10 per cent pay claim or a return to national pay.
The strike action will take place after Unison members voted by 95.7 per cent for industrial action in a recent ballot.
Tony Barnsley, Branch Secretary for Unison in Sandwell, said: "The price of food, fuel and energy keep rising and inflation is forecast to go above 10 per cent this year. This is a reasonable claim that we urge the Board of Sandwell Leisure Trust to settle. If they hadn’t fired and rehired their staff, this industrial action would not be taking place.
"Unison members are determined to fight for better pay and striking alongside our sister trade unions means that more leisure centres will be shut or adversely affected on the day. We urge the public to call upon Sandwell Leisure Trust to pay up rather than sitting on millions in reserves."
The Express and Star has approached Sandwell Leisure Trust and Sandwell Council for a comment.
