Regrettably, despite further negotiations through the services of ACAS and following an offer of an additional one-off goodwill payment to Unite members in connection with Countrystyle’s request for changes in interpretation of “Job & Finish”, the threatened strike by Unite members engaged on the London Borough of Bexley’s Street Services Contract will take place from 00:01 Tuesday, 12^th July 2022.

Countrystyle will be putting in place today its plan to ensure that access to the Council’s Thames Road depot will be restricted to staff who have not withdrawn their labour during this strike action. This will mean that picketing at Thames Road will be contained to a designated area at the entrance to the depot. Countrystyle will do what it can to minimise any interruption to the adjusted services that have been notified to residents of Bexley by the Council via its website.

Countrystyle’s Compliance Director, Stuart Butler-Gallie, said

“Countrystyle feels that it has done all that is reasonable to avoid this strike action, including making a further offer of a one-off payment as a gesture of goodwill; this has also been rejected. At the heart of this dispute is the fact that Unite does not accept the changes to their members’ interpretation of “Job & Finish” to the concept of “Group Task & Finish” that we have put forward. We feel that this change is critical for Countrystyle to modernise services that residents of Bexley should reasonably expect, whilst fully accepting staff’s contractual hours.”

Stuart added:

“Countrystyle believes it has worked closely with Bexley Council to plan to deliver a revised service that has been notified to residents. However, we would kindly ask residents of Bexley to bear with us and also recognise that this week’s hot weather will add to the challenges we are facing.”