River Thames safety concerns could lead to strike

A trade union has said River Thames weir and lockkeepers are set to ballot for industrial action over safety concerns.

The GMB told the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that workers could strike after "budget-driven decisions" put "putting people and property at risk".

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

Defra has been approached to comment.

The union said 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.

In a letter to Defra minister Emma Hardy, GMB national officer Kevin Brandstatter said the union wants a "thorough review" of the river's staffing.

Other "promised equipment", such as laptops, should also be provided, he said.

"EA management has set a budget for staffing of the weirs and locks on the River Thames which is half of what is needed," he added.

"There are only 52 staff doing the work of more that 100 - they simply cannot do the work needed in a safe way.

"GMB members have bent over backwards to keep their communities safe from flooding, which is not only a threat to property but to life."

There are 45 non-tidal locks on the Thames, including Osney and Iffley in Oxfordshire, Caversham and Shiplake in Berkshire and others in Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Greater London.

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