Nearly 40 security officers at the Bank of England have voted unanimously to launch further strike action in protest against a pay freeze, Unite confirmed today.
The dispute centres on pay negotiations with Amulet, the outsourcing firm that took over the contract from Mitie in February.
According to Unite, the union had previously been able to negotiate pay rises for Bank of England security staff, but Amulet has claimed it cannot afford to fund any increase following the contract transfer.
A Unite spokesman criticised the handling of negotiations, saying: “Yet after seven months of stringing workers along, the Bank of England only came forward with an eleventh-hour pay offer of 3.8 per cent in year one and 3 per cent in year two. This is a substantial real-terms pay cut, with the current RPI inflation rate standing at 4.5 per cent.”
The industrial action began with a one-day walkout on Thursday and will escalate to a five-day strike starting on 24 November. Unite has warned that the dispute highlights wider concerns about outsourcing, low pay and rising living costs for essential frontline staff.
Amulet has been contacted for comment.
