GMB stages further Dickens Country demo against term-time only deal for school workers

Council set to offer half of what other councils are offering and money is due to come from school budgets, says GMB Union

GMB has organised a second demonstration outside a Medway Council full council meeting today [Thursday 21 April] in anger at the derisory offer made to compensate low-paid women for historic annual leave underpayment. 

Despite a meeting last week between the union, council representatives and ACAS, the proposal to offer a compensation package of two weeks’ wages to be paid from the schools’ budgets will be pushed forward. 

The demonstration is due to take place as follows: 

Thursday 21st April 2022 from 6pm -7.30pm     

St George's Centre,

Pembroke Road,

Chatham Maritime, Chatham,

Kent, ME4 4UH

Mick Simpkin, GMB Regional Organiser said: “GMB thought the turnout at the previous full council meeting would show the strength of feeling among this group or workers and force the councillors into reconsidering their derisory offer.   

“Apparently not so, so here we are again. 

“Not only is the council set to offer half of what other councils are offering, but the money is due to be coming out of school budgets too, putting further pressure on budgets for school equipment. 

“Dickens himself was no stranger to an avaricious boss squeezing what he could out of their workforce, and now it’s happening again in his backyard. 

“If only these councillors were a bit less like Mr Gradgrind and a bit more like Mr Sleary, perhaps our members wouldn’t be facing such Hard Times.” 

Contact: Mick Simpkin on 07973 522 984 

Previous Press Releases: 

https://www.gmb-southern.org.uk/medway-council-miserly-offer (8th April 2022) 

https://www.gmb-southern.org.uk/workers-protest-dickens-country-hard-times (17th February 2022)