Seven green keepers at Hollingbury and Waterhall golf courses in Brighton and Hove are taking a second day of strike action today, as their employer refuses to budge from a plan to axe one job and slash the pay of the remaining staff.
Since 2009, Mytimeactive has made a substantial loss in running the two golf courses and in January this year, presented UNISON and GMB members with proposals that contained a compulsory redundancy, and an average pay cut of £4,000 a year, which is approximately 20% of their pay.
Now, in spite of six months of negotiations, the company has not moved to try to achieve an acceptable resolution to this matter, although the most recent accounts demonstrate that the company is cash rich.
On 11 June the staff took strike action, and the next day both unions wrote to Mytime, suggesting further talks, but the company has refused.
The branch says that staff are taking one further single day of action, but will then ‘gear up’ to lengthier strikes if no progress is made.
Both unions are asking local people and golfers to email the leaders of Brighton and Hove councils, as well as Steve Price, the chief executive of Mytimeactive.