Second Carmarthenshire union votes in favour of gritting strike
A second trade union has voted in favour of taking strike action over conditions and pay for gritting staff.
On Monday members of GMB union working for Carmarthenshire council highways department voted in favour of industrial action. Members of Unison have since also voted in favour of strike action, with a vote from a third union - Unite - due to take place. The authority said discussions with the three unions were continuing. A spokesperson for Unison said members voted over "the strength of the feeling of being undervalued" by the council "for the hard and dangerous work that they do in keeping the public safe". Workers are unhappy with rates of pay and Unison said the council should "stop providing this statutory service on the cheap and pay significantly more" to employees carrying out winter gritting. The statement said representatives from Unison, GMB and Unite would be meeting to plan action "to encourage the employer to significantly increase its final offer". Just over 80 workers could strike if all three unions back industrial action. Stephen Pilliner, the council's head of highways and transport, said: "We have been in discussions with trades unions regarding winter maintenance, and they have formally notified us of their intention to ballot members. "This ballot is currently under way. "We will discuss the outcome of the ballot with the trades unions once this is known."