PRESS RELEASE
4 December 2015
Anger that car parking charges are a further cut in pay
Union members working for Sandwell Council in Oldbury have been enraged at the Council’s plans to charge them £4 a day or £240 a year to park their car.
Those that currently park on the staff car park over the bridge from Sandwell Council House face these charges as part of a public consultation on Borough wide car parking charges.
The public sector union, UNISON, has launched a petition for staff in Oldbury to sign. Tony Barnsley, Joint Branch Secretary for Sandwell UNISON stated, “In the last 5 years our members have had their car allowances removed completely, mileage rates reduced, and have had an effective pay cut of 20%! These proposed car parking charges are seen by our members as a further cut in pay that the Council is choosing to impose regardless of how little they earn. The fact that Directors will pay the same as Cleaners is seen as unfair by our members.”
Sharon Campion, also Joint Branch Secretary added, “Whilst Sandwell Council workers in West Bromwich will welcome a lower charge from the £390 they are currently paying, our members in Oldbury know that the car park on West Bromwich Street is not a ‘public’ car park. The public park in Oldbury near the two shopping centres for free. They have no need to pay to use a car park that was built for staff working in Sandwell Council House. That is why we are asking for this car park to be removed from the current plans.”
