Traffic wardens’ strikes are just the ticket in south London

Trade Unions

GMB union members struck on 23 and 24 December—and plan further action in January

Outsourced traffic wardens in four south London boroughs are taking the fight to outsourcer Apcoa over low pay, intimidation, contracts and other issues. 

The GMB union members in Kingston, Lambeth, Richmond and Wandsworth struck on 23 and 24 December, following a one-week strike in November.

Pickets at the Wandsworth depot were in defiant mood. Two years ago they were in a long-running dispute with the previous contractor, NSL, walking out for several weeks. It didn’t end well, and a number of key activists were demoralised. 

But there has been a significant influx of staff since then, including some new reps, eager to build the union. 

Despite the transfer to Apcoa in August and a new depot, staff in Wandsworth feel little has changed.  One said, “There is a race to the bottom—the council always goes for the cheapest bidder.” 

Another picket, who’s worked there over 20 years, pointed out they’d had six changes of contractor in that period—three times under Apcoa. 

Apcoa is a major player in “parking management”, with operations in 13 countries and around 5,000 employees. Its profits rose 15.2 percent in the year to august 2024, after nearly doubling in the pandemic. The company was acquired earlier this year by a private equity firm, SVP Global.

As in previous disputes, the local councils have the potential to play a decisive role. They pretend they are neutral, but the union can point to many instances of them favouring the privateer. 

The ruling Labour group in Wandsworth has been especially keen to wash their hands of the matter. The wardens are the first group of strikers to confront them since their return to office in 2022after 44 years of Tory rule. 

The GMB says the Labour council in Lambeth is “underwriting the cost of the dispute on behalf of their contractor”. 

Councils have not fought the savage cuts imposed on them by central government in the years of Tory austerity. 

Local authority Bosses have been tempted to focus on parking fines as an alternative means of raising revenue. Lambeth excels in the field, raking in more than any other British council, with fines totalling £52.4 million in the 2023/24 financial year.

Talks between the union and the bosses are due at the end of January. Workers plan to strike again in mid-January, to keep up the pressure. It is vital this happens— and that the union raises the demand for the entire service to be taken back in house. 

The walkout will be even more effective if bolstered by two other tactics. The union should push the best of the Labour councillors to speak out in support of the strikers. Strikers and their supporters could spread the profile of the dispute locally, both through other union branches and systematic leafleting.