Traffic wardens from Ealing are set to protest outside Parliament on Wednesday (23 April 2025) as tensions mount in a long-running dispute over union recognition and the treatment of workers employed by Ealing Council-owned Greener Ealing Ltd.
The protest, organised by Unite, will take place from 10:30am to 12:30pm at College Green, Westminster, and comes amid mounting criticism of Ealing Southall MP Deirdre Costigan and Ealing North MP James Murray, who demonstrators accuse of turning their backs on the workers.
The enforcement officers, employed by Greener Ealing Ltd – an Ealing Council-owned company – have taken industrial action since August 2024 over what Unite describes as the company’s “refusal to recognise their union”.
The workers were formerly employed by Serco but from 1 April 2024 parking enforcement was brought in-house to the council’s Greener Ealing. According to Unite, Greener Ealing hasn’t recognised the agreement Serco had with Unite to represent the workers.
Tensions have intensified after four wardens were dismissed while participating in industrial action. Unite alleges these sackings were on “trumped up charges” and has accused the council and its arms-length firm of engaging in union-busting tactics.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Greener Ealing’s civil enforcement officers have been treated appallingly by their local politicians. It is time they stepped up and supported these workers. Unite will not stop until the union-busting at Greener Ealing ends. The council must recognise the workers’ union and reinstate those who have been unfairly sacked.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS previously, a Greener Ealing spokesperson said: “GEL has a single recognition agreement with GMB union which has served us well for the past 5 years. We have no wish to change this. We have not dismissed any staff for any reason connected with taking strike action. Any suggestion of “trumped up charges” is a total misrepresentation of the facts.”
The traffic wardens, previously employed by Serco, were brought in-house under Greener Ealing Ltd in April 2024 following a campaign supported at the time by both Ms Costigan – then Ealing council’s deputy leader – and council leader Councillor Peter Mason. However, both Ms Costigan and Councillor Mason, along with Mr Murray, are now accused of abandoning the workers in their current fight for union recognition.
In a further twist to the dispute, Unite confirmed that formal letters of complaint have been submitted to the parliamentary standards commissioner and the Labour Party general secretary regarding the conduct of Ms Costigan and Mr Murray. A complaint against Mr Mason has also been filed with Ealing Council’s standards committee.
Ealing Council and MPs Deirdre Costigan and James Murray have been approached for a comment.
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