Southampton City Council union members walk out on Royston Smith

ANGRY bin men walked out on a speech by the leader of Southampton council after unions staged a huge protest outside the city’s Guildhall.

Striking council workers and trade unionists, blowing horns and carrying huge balloons, marched from Andrews Park to a rally in Guildhall Square where a crowd of nearly 1,000 gathered.

They were joined by dockers from the port.

The demonstration came after 4,600 council workers, under threat of dismissal, this week signed up to new contracts cutting wages and freezing pay for two years.

Just 17 refused to sign.

Addressing the rally union leaders accused Tory council chiefs of “stealing” workers’ pay and said the industrial action in the city over the past two months that has left mountains of uncollected rubbish spilling onto the streets would continue.

A demonstration continued outside the Guildhall where councillors were meeting to discuss the industrial action.

Conservative councillors entered the building by side entrances to avoid inflaming the crowd outside.

Security was stepped up after the last council meeting was stormed by bin men who hammered at the doors of the council chamber and were later ejected.

More than 200 council workers filled the Guildhall as councillors took their seats on a stage shielded by a security barrier. Bin men chanted, whistled and broke out into verses of My Old Man’s A Dustman.

But this time the bin men walked out mid-way through a speech by council leader Royston Smith after the Conservative mayor told them to shut-up and warned them he had the right to remove them.

Cllr Smith was heckled and booed as he defended his decision to cut the pay of workers by between two and 5.5 per cent, and freeze pay rises for two years.

He said the savings would protect jobs and the alternative was cuts to services.

Labour councillor Simon Letts said there had been enough “blood-letting” and urged Conservatives to sit down and negotiate with unions.

Unite regional organiser Ian Woodland said his members had been “very disciplined”

when “emotions were running very high” and chose to walk out at the right time.

He added: “Our members are determined to carry on with the dispute.”

Unions are now bringing a £12m legal claim against the council over a failure to consult about its plan to dismiss.

Separate unfair dismissal claims are being prepared.

Unison deputy general secretary Keith Sonnett was among the speakers who addressed the rally ahead of a meeting of the council.

He said: “Sacking all council staff and re-hiring them with savage cuts to pay and conditions is grossly unfair and unnecessary.

“The council is ignoring the destruction this will wreak on hardworking staff and their families. Staff have already been hit with a two-year pay freeze and are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.

Our members are outraged that the vital services they provide for the community are also set to be slashed.

“This fight is far from over – we will continue to take action against Southampton council’s devastating cuts, which can only harm the local community and economy.”

Talks between the council and unions through the mediation service ACAS collapsed in stalemate weeks ago.

Lib Dem group leader Cllr Adrian Vinson accused both sides of bringing pre-conditions to the table and said the city had become an “ideological battleground on a national playing field.” Shropshire is now following Southampton’s lead in bringing in pay cuts.

Up to 2,400 council workers are taking industrial action.

More than 600 workers walked out strike yesterday – the biggest wave yet – as carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians and gas fitters join striking bin men, street cleaners and port health workers.

Cllr Smith said that while the council was seeking direct talks with the unions to bring an end to the industrial action it was time to get back to work.