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Labour let-down on park & ride

24 May 2007

Security guards working at the Seacourt and Redbridge park and ride sites have called off their five-week strike action after failing to get support from the city council’s Labour group.

The eight workers had refused to work alone at night because of concerns about their own and the public’s safety. They said they would now be forced to follow guidelines issued by the council to lock themselves in their offices and call the police in the event of an incident—including robberies and attacks on park and ride users.

Security guards Craig Barlow and Paul Griffiths told the Oxford Mail, ‘We’d gained full support from the Greens, Independent Working Class Association and the independent group.

‘We were going to continue with strike action until we could confirm full support from Labour. Unfortunately, the Labour group would not back us and are siding with the Liberal Democrats. Therefore, the dispute has ended’

Oxford Labour Leader Bob Price responded that ‘the current position for lone working is safe’ and that measures instructing staff to lock themselves in their offices ‘are fine’.

A poster on the Oxford Mail website commented: ‘Let’s hope trade union members remember this the next time these Labour councillors want their vote. I certainly will.’

Vote to decide

In a recent development, councillors now look set to vote on the issue of whether security guards should work alone at park-and-ride sites after an extraordinary general meeting of the council was called.