It could mean no more parking tickets or your dustbins going unemptied for a week, but Barnet Council workers promised their industrial action will intensify if this week's strike has no effect on employers.

Members of the GMB and Unison public service unions took part in a one-day strike on Tuesday in support of an increase in London weighting from £1,407 to £4,000.

If the ALG (Association of London Government) does not go back to the negotiating table with the unions over this matter, they will launch week-long 'selective strikes' at the end of the month or the beginning of November, where a whole department will go on strike for an entire week.

This could take the form of disruptive action, such as dustmen not collecting any rubbish, or non-disruptive action, such as parking attendants going on strike, which will hurt the council's coffers more than the public.

Gerry McAllister, Barnet Unison branch secretary, said: "All our membership agree that the next way forward is selective action. It's never failed before.

"We're being pushed to this, we don't want to do this. People have lost money coming out on strike, it's got to the point where people can ill-afford to take a day's strike action."

In a statement, the ALG said that meeting the unions' demands would mean a £90 council tax rise for all London households, unless the Government gave more money to local authorities, which it is lobbying for.

The ALG negotiates on behalf of London councils so that all councils pay the same wages. Otherwise there would be a bidding war between councils to attract staff.

Why I'm on strike

Steven Gray, 34, has been a street cleanser for Barnet Council for ten years. He lives in Grahame Park, has two children and earns £12,000 basic salary a year.

"I've worked about seven days a week since I started. The wages are total rubbish.

"I have to work about 100 hours overtime a month just to get a decent wage, more if I want to buy something big like Christmas presents.

"Most guys can't survive on their wages. They start on £700 a month. I don't want to strike, none of us do, but we have got to do something."

Steven Mills, 41, is a senior operative in highways maintenance earning £18,000. High prices have forced him out of Barnet.

"The more the council puts contracts out to tender, the more it's failing. Private companies come in and they're failing, and they're still paying us bad money for a good service.

"I don't want to work for the private sector, I'm doing good for the people in the borough. If you work for a contractor you're doing the same work but you're lining the pocket of some fat cat."

Jason Goodwin, 32, has worked in grounds maintenance for Barnet Council for 13 years. He lives on a narrowboat in Rickmansworth because he cannot afford anything else. He earns £12,200. Unless his wages change he is moving to Derby where a two-bedroom house is a third of the price of one in Barnet and where he can earn more money for the same job.

"We are losing staff daily hand over fist. We cannot attract decent staff because the wages are so poor. If we're losing staff in the quantities we are, it's very difficult to provide a decent, quality service. Skilled people are leaving because they have been offered better money elsewhere.

"I have to do as much overtime as I can, I have no choice."

David Hambly, is a social worker for Barnet Council. He earns £26,000, and lives in Harrow, but is considering moving back to Yorkshire.

"I can't afford to live here, I can't afford to go out. I do an important, valuable job but I don't think I'm getting a salary that reflects my value at all. It's time things changed. This is a battle we just have to win.

"I would like to stay but I need a salary I can manage on. It's not nearly enough. I need to be on £30,000 a year to be able to afford to live in the capital.

"Barnet Council can't recruit social workers to work in children and families, they're almost completely dependent on agency staff and that's costing them a fortune. If they improved the salaries they would be able to recruit permanent staff. Children are being put at risk by this council."

October 2, 2002 18:00