More strikes on the cards for Woolwich Ferry workers over pay dispute

Over the last two weeks there has rarely been a day when both ferries have been up and running, having a knock on effect to traffic in the area.

New ferries were brought in last year and extensive work was done to improve the piers.

A limited service was then introduced on February 1 but due to 'technical problems' the service was continually disrupted.

Woolwich Ferry workers went on strike in May and June of this year in protest over health and safety standards.

However, the union is now suggesting that this could happen again, and this time this issue is pay.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab told News Shopper: "In relation to the ongoing dispute, while we have made clear we are prepared to negotiate, all the employers have done is put forward a proposal which is a thinly disguised attempt at a cut in overtime pay."

"The client, Transport For London (TFL) are a London Living Wage accredited employer meaning that they must ensure that contractors are paying the London Living Wage.

"Our appeals to TFL so far have fallen on deaf ears. We also have evidence that shift patterns breach the working time regulations with regard to rest periods between shifts."

He said that the union is now calling on City Hall to listen to their demands in line with the governments commitment to public services.

In the event that talks do not lead to an agreement on the 15th, the union will be issuing notice for further industrial action.

Around 20,000 vehicles a week use the free service across the Thames which opened in 1889, and an estimated 2.6 million passengers also use the ferry annually.

Onay said that the main issue at the moment is a lack of spare boats, and so if there is an issue the whole service grinds to a halt.

He continued: "There has been a spate of technical problems linked to the new technology on the boat. All of this being rather ironic because a few years ago the on site workshop would fix a boat relatively quickly while the spare went into service.

"The company then decided to do repairs off site and get rid of the workshop - this was followed by the new high tech boats."

A TfL spokesman said: “Service on the Woolwich Ferry is currently suspended due to technical issues with the on-board generators. This will impact the service this week and we apologise for the disruption this will cause our customers. We are working hard to fix these problems and additional specialist engineers have been called in to try solve the issues as quickly as possible.”

TfL has been reapproached for comment after the union claims.