Environment Agency workers strike over pay
Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England are set to stage a three-day strike from Friday over their claims of “endemic low pay”. The action from the Unison trade union will involve staff working on flood defences, river pollution and fires.
Emergency response teams argue that they are too thinly stretched to be able to protect communities and maintain environmental safety. The strike follows months of industrial action by Environment Agency workers who have protested against a 2% pay increase offered by the government, claiming that it does not cover inflation and represents a 20% cut in real terms since 2010.
The lowest two grades in the agency have already been given emergency pay uplifts to meet the national living wage.
Anonymous striking workers said that their low pay means there are difficulties recruiting new staff, while existing workers often have to cover vacant positions for less money. In addition, pollution monitoring teams have been cut in half over the last decade. The government claims that it is engaging in pay talks with the unions.
