Thames lock and weir staff could strike

THE WEIR and lock keepers on the Thames are to be balloted for industrial action over safety concerns.

That could lead to a strike, Roger Fox reports.

Could strike

The General and Municipal Workers' Union informed the Environment Agency that workers could strike as budget-driven decisions are putting people and property at risk.

It told there are 52 permanent staff working on the river, along with 10 currently unfilled temporary roles, but an Environment Agency assessment in 2008 found more than 100 staff were needed.

The union told that severe weather and flooding has been caused by climate change but that members must manage multiple weirs and have been denied rest periods between shifts.

Better staffing

The union wants better staffing along the river and promised equipment, such as laptops, should also be provided and believes the agency has set a budget for staffing of the weirs and locks on the Thames which is half of what is needed.

An  Environmental Agency spokesperson told that it had not proposed any cuts to jobs or services. And that it will provide further detail on its approach to modernising navigation on the Thames in due course.