Parking officers strike over pay

Two weeks of strike action by parking enforcement officers is set to disrupt Slough town centre from Monday.

Saba Park Services parking enforcement officers will walk out again over an ongoing pay dispute, according to Unite Union.

A fortnight of industrial action is planned between February 26 and March 10, affecting parking attendance, back-office support, CCTV monitoring and bus lane enforcement.

Street parking restrictions throughout the town including double yellow lines, resident parking zones, off and on-street pay and display parking will also not be monitored by striking employees.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members at Saba Park Services play a critical role in keeping Slough’s roads functioning and they fully deserve to be paid the market rate for their roles.”

Unite claims that Saba Park Services staff are paid ‘significantly’ lower than the market rate at £10.50 per hour despite a company turnover of close to £19 million.

Unite regional officer Richard White added: “The strike action will shut down parking enforcement in Slough. This dispute is of Saba Parking and the council’s own making. Instead of pointing the figure of blame at each other, they should be working together to table a fair pay offer.

“This dispute has been ongoing since last April and since then we have seen membership grow rapidly. We will continue to work together until we receive a decent offer.”

The contract is outsourced by Slough Borough Council, and a spokesperson told the Express: “Our team will be putting in enforcement cover for as much of the borough as possible including all back-office support, security for car parks, cash collection, CCTV monitoring and bus lane enforcement.”