Contractor denies covering striking parking wardens in south London with agency workers

A contractor has denied claims it used agency workers to cover a strike staged by parking wardens in South London.

GMB Union said it has lodged a complaint over the alleged use of agency workers by APCOA Parking during strike action in Kingston, which has so far seen wardens walk out for 17 days since November.

Using agency workers to cover striking employees is illegal. APCOA strongly denies the claim and said it has only used agency workers during the strike to fill pre-existing vacancies, which is lawful.

Kingston Council, which contracts its parking enforcement to APCOA, said it has been reassured by the firm that no agency workers have been used to replace striking wardens. The authority said it is content agency workers have only covered pre-existing vacancies and that this is supported by staff deployment data for strike days.

The parking wardens, who are all members of GMB, most recently walked out on July 30 as part of an ongoing dispute with APCOA over pay. GMB said the starting rate for wardens in Kingston is £13.85 an hour, compared to colleagues in Lambeth who recently secured an hourly rate of £15.

GMB said it has met with APCOA bosses for several rounds of talks but no formal pay offer has been made, despite repeated requests and rising frustration among workers. It told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it has also submitted a complaint to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) over the alleged use of agency workers to cover the strike, which is investigating the claim.

The union urged the council to step in to help resolve the dispute. It warned strike action will escalate if no formal pay offer is made.

Alex Etches, GMB regional organiser, said: “Let’s be clear: Kingston Council is short-changing and disrespecting the very workers who keep the borough running. They’re happy to bank the millions in revenue these officers bring in but when it comes to fair pay, they look the other way.

“Other councils have stepped up, but Kingston has done nothing. GMB members have been left struggling to keep up with rising costs and it’s just not good enough. This is a council-funded contract, and Kingston cannot hide behind APCOA.”

An APCOA Parking spokesperson told the LDRS: “We are aware of recent allegations suggesting that we have used agency workers to cover for colleagues participating in industrial action. We categorically refute this claim. In line with UK law, we have not used agency staff to cover for striking workers. Any agency workers engaged during this period have been used solely to fill existing vacancies, which is entirely lawful.