Liz Wheatley from Camden Unison – the union is leading the demands for higher wages

PARKING wardens are set to lay down their ticket machines until the council’s contractor meets their demands.

Union chiefs say their members are fed up of low pay from Camden Council’s private contractor, NSL, and going on “indefinite” strike.

Every traffic warden balloted voted in favour of fighting for as long as it takes for the company to reach a pay settlement with Unison.

The council said it hoped drivers would still observe parking and traffic rules during the strike action.

“We are striking to win from day one,” said Camden branch secretary Liz Wheatley. She said parking wardens – “civil enforcement officers” – had to put up with a lot of racist abuse and threats of violence during long daily rounds.

The union has called for a pay rise from £12.70 an hour to £15.90.

It has rejected NSL’s most recent offer of a 4.5 percent increase of 57p to £13.27 an hour.

Ms Wheatley said: “It’s very unusual to have indefinite strike action. It means NSL will not just be able to wait and stick it out. It was a 73 per cent turnout and having 100 per cent support is very unusual.”

She added: “I’m really proud of our Unison members working for NSL here in Camden. They work long hours doing a difficult job and face racist abuse carrying out their work. They deserve decent pay, and they’ve sent out a clear message that they are organised and prepared to strike to win it.”

Ms Wheatley said 2023 had been designated as “Year of the Black Worker in Unison” and the union was campaigning against low pay that disproportionately affects black workers.

Scores of parking wardens will be taking part in the action that follows a similar protest five years ago.

At that time, they were being paid £10 an hour. Wardens went on strike for 33 days in 2018 in what turned out to be a successful dispute with NSL over pay.

The company is a subsidiary of a multimillion-pound profit-making company called Marston Holdings. Marston works with courts and local authorities across the country providing debt collection services for parking fines, council tax and rent arrears, and congestion charge contraventions.

The New Journal reported in 2018 ahead of the strike how staff had criticised invasive monitoring by the company and how some staff had been attacked by angry drivers while issuing tickets.

Camden Council makes around £40,000 a day from parking penalty charge notices in a surplus that is supposed to be invested back into running the parking service.

An NSL spokesperson: “The staff are currently on a salary well above London Living Wage and, whilst we agree they should receive an uplift, the union’s position of a minimum that will be considered is a 25 per cent increase and therefore not affordable.

“It is unfortunate that the union has chosen to go on an indefinite strike as part of this process and we remain open to hearing a proposal that is achievable. Should the strike go ahead, we will work with the council to minimise disruption.”

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “We continue to support both parties, [and] urge them to come to an agreement and to resolve this dispute as swiftly as possible.

“We would like to remind residents, business and visitors that they should continue to park correctly and adhere to parking restrictions to avoid any possible penalty charge notices.”