NEARLY 30 traffic wardens facing a 10 per cent pay cut by Wiltshire Council are being balloted on strike action by their union the GMB.

The trade union has given the council notice of a formal strike ballot covering all civil enforcement officers in Wiltshire.

The ballot will take place from next Wednesday (April 6) and is likely to last two weeks, with the result expected after April 20.

The GMB says its members don’t want a strike but on salaries of £20,000 cannot afford a 10 per cent pay cut and are therefore being forced to fight. The union says the proposed pay cut would reduce their salary by over £2,000 a year.

This is alongside proposed 10 per cent pay cuts for other key workers, including highways, care workers and leisure centres, and a proposed 20 per cent pay cut for social workers.

GMB regional organiser, Keith Roberts, said: “GMB members are deeply angry about the proposed pay cut.

“They are key workers who were out mixing with the general public right through the pandemic, and indeed traffic wardens helped to run the testing centres where they were brought into contact with people who were Covid positive. They have a great feeling of public service.

“All the Wiltshire staff who work unsocial hours, and whose pay is threatened, are frontline workers – the very people we stood at our doorsteps and clapped during lockdown.

“With National Insurance increasing, fuel and energy prices through the roof, and prices in the supermarkets going up on a daily basis, our members are really worried that if this pay cut goes ahead, then they won’t be able to pay their rent or mortgage and won’t be able to put food on the table.

“GMB members don’t want a strike, but cannot afford the pay cut, and are being forced to fight. The council needs to take the pay cut off the table.”

The council employs 30 traffic wardens and three senior civil enforcement officers whose numbers are evenly split between Monkton Park at Chippenham and Salisbury. Currently, they are four CEOs under strength.

In addition to issuing parking fines for illegally parked vehicles, the CEOs also enforce payment in council carparks, and enforce residents’ parking in Salisbury, a service which Salisbury residents pay for.

Mr Roberts added: “If there is a strike, there will unfortunately be parking chaos. Not only will it cost the council money from car park revenue, but people will be parking anywhere they want, without fear of a ticket. 

“This will particularly affect Salisbury residents who pay for residents’ parking, as without the traffic wardens, there will be no enforcement in the resident parking zones. Shoppers and tourists will be using the residential streets to park.”

Terence Herbert, chief executive of Wiltshire Council, said: “We value our partnership with trade unions, and the concerns and priorities of union members and all staff are a key priority.

“Council officers have been trying to negotiate with three trade unions UNISON, Unite the Union and GMB on proposals to make some changes to terms and conditions and allowances, with the aim of delivering savings of £2.1m as part of an overall savings target of £10.1m from staffing budgets over the next two years.


“We continue to work with UNISON, Unite the Union and GMB in a positive and constructive way, and we have formed a working group with senior officers and the unions to seek an agreement on changes to allowances, with a decision expected before the end of June.


“We regret that yesterday GMB did notify us they are balloting some of their members about possible industrial action. We have contingency plans in place should there be any industrial action, but we remain open to further discussions with all the unions to seek an agreement in this matter.”