UNISON has announced that Environment Agency members have secured a mandate for strike action over the next six months after the recent industrial action ballot.
The new mandate marks a continuation of the dispute, begun last year, where EA members voted for strike action over pay for the first time in the agency’s history.
Donna Rowe-Merriman, national secretary for the sector, said: “Workers have endured over a decade of pay erosion where the value of their pay has reduced by over 20%, and have said enough is enough.
“The result demonstrates that EA members have not been disheartened by lack of action from the government and the employer and are still committed to taking industrial action, including strike action, to secure a fair pay deal.
“UNISON’s position remains the same: the union is willing to sit down with the government in good faith to try and find a way to resolve this dispute.
“However, EA members have said they are ready to take further industrial action and, unless the government agree to get around the table, it will happen.”
