Eight-month Bromley library strike ends after Unite and GLL agreement

Bromley library staff have ended eight months of strikes over staffing after the Unite union and employer Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) reached an agreement.

Fifty staff members at the borough’s 14 facilities began industrial action on 6th June last year over unfilled positions and proposed job cuts. Unite announced indefinite strike action, saying it had warned Bromley Council at the time the service was outsourced to GLL in 2017 that job cuts would follow.

Eight months on, Unite union and GLL have announced the dispute is now settled with an agreement on new staffing structures and no compulsory redundancies. Employees returned to work on 3rd February.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: "I want to pay tribute to every single one of our members in Bromley who have made a magnificent stand in defence of the library service. This has been one of the longest all out, indefinite strikes of recent times and serves as an example to workers across the country preparing to fight the latest onslaught of council cuts.

"Bromley council is at the forefront of implementing Tory cuts which is why this dispute is so important. We have come away with an agreement which protects jobs and ensures that our members are paid what they are owed. That is an achievement that every one of our members can be proud of."

GLL said the end of the dispute meant it could begin "restructuring and modernising" the borough’s library service.

Diana Edmonds, national libraries director for GLL, said: "Times change and libraries need to change with the times to make sure customers can access the services they want and need in a 21st-century library. In 2020 we will be focusing on enhancing and improving the customer experience, freeing up staff to spend more time helping library users get the most out of their visit.”

Councillor Peter Morgan, executive councillor for renewal, recreation and housing, added: "It is positive news that GLL are able to look forwards to the future. Residents will know that the Council has a strong record of improving libraries where we can, which of course includes keeping libraries open. I am pleased that our planned improvements to the Bromley children library are now already being enjoyed by library users with our attention firmly focussed on further improvements to our libraries."