Disgruntled library workers in Bromley are considering striking in a bid to pressure for a pay rise.

More than 40 members of Unite the union are preparing to vote on taking industrial action in the latest of a long-running saga with Greenwich Leisure Limited.

GLL manages libraries on behalf of Bromley Council.

Unite say GLL bosses are not filling vacant jobs, and asking existing library staff to take on extra responsibility without any extra cash.

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Angry workers are pressuring for a six per cent pay rise from April this month for all GLL run libraries and leisure centres.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “The Bromley ballot is the first stage in our campaign to get pay justice across the GLL contracts in 16 London boroughs and in Belfast.

“There are issues that are specific to the Bromley contract. GLL claims to be a social enterprise, but we think that is a rather elastic description for an organisation that fails to pay its staff a decent wage and insists on a contract clause which permits a five per cent pay cut.

“GLL promised Bromley Council that it would implement library service cuts of over 25 per cent if it were awarded the contract to run this much-loved public service.

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“GLL’s stewardship of the libraries has been lamentable in the extreme and has led to this strike ballot.

“Generally, profitable GLL has a poor reputation as an employer and is always looking to maximise profits at the expense of the dedicated workforce which ensures the smooth running of leisure centres and libraries across the UK on a daily basis.”

Last year librarians in Bromley went on strike indefinitely over talks between workers and GLL broke down over pay.

GLL said today that the union’s pay claim is “unrealistic”, but called the move to ballot a strike “regrettable”.

A spokesman said: “Staff pay rises this year are in line with the public sector pay award meaning our salaries are kept competitive.

“Our not-for-profit social enterprise model keeps libraries open and is the winning formula behind some of the busiest and best used libraries in the whole of the UK.

“We are disappointed Unite have taken the step to ballot members on an unrealistic and unaffordable pay claim.”