Earlier today, Labour Councillors made a crucial intervention in the ongoing City Clean industrial dispute. Labour may have successfully facilitated a meeting that could end strike action by GMB members.

As outlined in the statement made earlier today, co-leader of the opposition Cllr John Allcock and Labour’s opposition environment spokesperson Cllr Gary Wilkinson met with the GMB to hear their concerns, and wrote to the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive and the GMB Branch Secretary to facilitate a meeting between both parties in order to find a swift resolution for residents.

Following those actions, and as a direct result of Labour’s intervention and discussions earlier today, the GMB have put another offer to the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council to meet tomorrow morning and seek a resolution to this dispute.

Labour urge the Council to take the GMB up on this offer as communication and negotiation are how industrial disputes are resolved.

Cllr John Allcock, co-leader of the opposition:

“I’m pleased our interventions today have paved the way for constructive talks and hopefully an end to strike action.

“I urge the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive to meet with the GMB, get round the table and communicate to find a way forward that benefits our residents.

“Burying heads in the sand helps nobody. We need the Council to tackle this crisis directly and the next step in doing that involves attending the meeting with GMB that we have facilitated.”