Both sets of protesters made their causes known to Bromley Council at an eventful full council meeting on December 8.
During a period of public questions to the chamber, a woman in the public gallery stood up, interrupted proceedings and loudly asked the council to reveal what investments it had made in companies linked to Israel while a man stood next to her brandishing a Palestinian flag.
She asked: “Will the council agree to a full disclosure and commitment to divestment from all weapon manufacturers and companies linked to the oppression of Palestine? One day, you will hang your heads in shame.”
Her protests were met with calls of “shame on you” from the Conservative side of the chamber as many Tories tried to shout her down and get the activists removed from the meeting, telling her she was circumventing proper processes.
During her interruption, Cllr Simon Fawthrop exclaimed: “This is a travesty of democracy. People have put down questions to speak – members of the public – and they are being denied the right by these agitators.”
The activist also claimed the council had been ignoring the group’s Freedom of Information (FOI) requests seeking information about its Israeli investments and shouted “free Palestine” upon being escorted from the chamber. Bromley Council has been contacted for comment about the incident.
A group of traffic wardens formed a picket line before the meeting outside Bromley Civic Centre, demanding a pay rise from their employer APCOA to whom Bromley Council outsources its parking enforcement services. December 8 marked the third day of GMB Union strikes after APCOA hadn’t offered the wardens an updated pay offer after the first two days of strike action last month.
Those striking claimed council officers told them the public gallery was full and blocked them from entering the meeting. Although there were several members of the public at Monday’s meeting, which the Local Democracy Reporting Service was in attendance for, there would have been space to fit the group of wardens.
Bromley Council said the demonstration caused “uncertainty and confusion” and that in the interests of public safety, the wardens weren’t admitted to the meeting as some of them were wearing masks.
A council spokesperson said: “The council would not admit masked individuals where public safety could be undermined but there was also confusion about the numbers of people already in the public gallery in the council chamber, hence the decision not to admit more attendees than could be accommodated.”
One disgruntled traffic warden on the picket line said: “We want fair pay. Being on £12.21 minimum rate, we’ve been on minimum wage for a long, long time. I’ve been here 20 years. When I started with APCOA, it was just over the minimum rate. 20 years later, I’m now on the minimum rate of £12.21.
“It doesn’t matter what we do for the work, on the street, helping the public, the more and more pressure we’ve got on and more and more contraventions; we just can’t keep up anymore, and all we’re asking for is a fair wage.”
Bromley traffic wardens were also frustrated that their fellow wardens in other boroughs, such as in Lambeth and Wandsworth, are earning £15 an hour for doing the same job. APCOA is offering a £13 hourly wage to those in Bromley, which is below the London Living Wage that is expected to increase to £14.80 next April.
The warden continued: “They’re recognising their work. They’re getting their fair pay. We’re not, and it’s getting dangerous on the streets now. People are knifing, crime, and all the rest of it. No one is helping us. The council is not listening to us. APCOA is not listening to us.”
The warden was “optimistic” they would achieve their pay goal. They added: “We’re strong in our unity and we want to continue with the cause of fighting for fair pay. We’re not going to stop it now. Enough is enough. We have to make a stand.”
GMB Regional Organiser Craig Prickett said: “Bromley’s PCN [penalty charge notice] income has surged and APCOA has received more than £5.3 million in inflation uplifts, yet some of the officers delivering this service are using food banks and working multiple jobs.
“Much of the rejected pay rise would only have raised some staff just above the legal minimum wage, meaning APCOA attempted to present a statutory requirement as if it were a genuine uplift.”
One of the striking wardens Andy Miles-Constantinou was let into the meeting, and he asked Bromley’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Highways and Road Safety: “APCOA Civil Enforcement Officers in Bromley, like myself, play a key role identifying stolen blue badges. What is Bromley Council doing to ensure we are paid a fair wage for the important work we do?”
Cllr Nicholas Bennett gave a short reply: “This is a question for APCOA as employer.”
In a supplementary question, Labour Councillor Tony McPartlan said: “ACPOA made nearly €1 billion in revenue in 2020. Does the portfolio holder personally believe it’s fair that it proposes to give Bromley workers a pay rise of just 50p?”
Cllr Bennet gave another short reply. He said: “I refer Cllr McPartlan to the answer I gave some moments ago.”
Leader of the opposition, Councillor Simon Jeal asked how much money had Bromley lost due to the strikes and if APCOA was going to reimburse the losses, but Cllr Bennett suggested he submit a full question asking that next time.
A third question from the Labour group to Cllr Bennett was asked by Cllr Ruth McGregor, who said: “Does the portfolio holder think it’s fair that enforcement officers that have been working as long as 21 years plus are still paid minimum wage when Bromley Council is responsible for enforcing that contract? Surely we should be expecting our suppliers to pay a fair wage?”
In a similar response, Cllr Bennett said: “I suggest that cllr McGregor takes it up with the employer.”
In relation to the strikes, APCOA has previously stated: “We are disappointed that our latest pay offer has been rejected and that the GMB is choosing to advocate strike action in Bromley when there is still scope for negotiations to continue. We believe our offer was a fair one. We remain open to continued constructive discussions to reach a resolution and avoid any action.”
