00:00 Currently behind me there's a demo, it's public services coming together, both workers from the Royal London Hospital,
00:09 both Unite and BMA members and Unite members from Telfhamlet's Refuge and Cleansing Service,
00:15 coming together to demonstrate over their strike.
00:19 They're currently both on strike over pay disputes, but also there are other issues at play,
00:24 which both the NHS and Telfhamlet's Council, as well as the government, can resolve if they want to come to the negotiating table with Unite to resolve that.
00:34 Can you tell me a little bit about the specific demands, what is it specifically that has been offered and that Unite are looking for?
00:41 So specifically I'm the officer for our members in the Refuge service here in Telfhamlet,
00:47 and we've come with solutions, we've come with two solutions, one was over a one-off cost of living payment.
00:53 I don't need to tell anybody that the cost of living crisis is affecting absolutely everybody in this borough,
00:59 it's a very, very expensive borough to live in being so close to London and the costs that come with that.
01:05 So we've come forward with that, that was batted away by the Council,
01:09 there were other suggestions that we've come to, more sort of localised suggestions which might be able to resolve the dispute,
01:15 that was also batted away.
01:17 So we've said to the Council, it's really your time to come forward with a solution to us.
01:21 We've tried, we're here, we're ready to negotiate, we've just appointed for the Council to call us to the negotiating table.
01:27 You can see behind me, just beyond the stripe, you'll see that there's rubbish piling up.
01:32 It's been two days of strike action, our members have taken four weeks of strike action.
01:37 They don't want to have to do it but they see no alternative to be able to address the cost of living crisis,
01:44 it's specifically to them.
01:46 Ultimately, they're receiving support from the community, support from the whole trade union movement
01:51 and all we're saying to Tower Hamlets Council is please, let's get round the negotiating table and let's try and sort this out.
Comments