States’ manual workers met to discuss their pay claim in April this year. The issue has yet to be resolved and they are now being balloted on taking industrial action.

GUERNSEY could be heading for a summer of discontent as States manual workers are polled on strike action. It is understood that sewage cart drivers have already voted in favour of action and airport firefighters are also believed to back the move.

With with wage negotiations deadlocked and registered for arbitration, shop stewards met yesterday to discuss their next step.

And, in the background, heads of several unions representing teachers, nurses and civil servants, have written a joint letter to Chief Minister Lyndon Trott expressing shock at the June RPI figure reaching 5.5% and demanding talks over the impact this has on the current round of wage negotiations.

Unite’s regional industrial organiser Ron Le Cras refused yesterday to discuss claims about strike action.  ‘The Public Sector Remuneration Committee has registered a dispute, but we’re not sure that it is the right group to be negotiating with because they tell us their hands are tied; they cannot make an offer of more than 3%,’ said Mr Le Cras.

A slightly better offer was made nearer to what was wanted, he added, but the committee would not make that official.