Library dispute agreement reached

A campaign of strikes had been planned throughout the summer

Library staff in Kent have signed an agreement signalling the end of the threat of industrial action.

Workers at libraries staged a one-day strike in June in protest at changes in staffing planned for the service.

Union officials had warned it was the start of a summer of campaigning but now the county council has announced the dispute has been resolved.

The action followed plans to improve customer efficiency which Unison said was a "secondary form of downgrading".

'New era'

The council said the new agreement would see both sides work together to ensure a libraries transformation programme would be implemented positively.

Sarah Hohler, deputy council leader, said: "This agreement paves the way for a bright future for our libraries and everyone who works in them."

Mary Nolze, from Unison, said: "This gives us an opportunity to move forward into a new era for library services in Kent."

The one-day strike came after 76% of library staff voted for a walkout as a result of plans to increase the number of frontline library staff.

The council had claimed no savings would be made as a result of the planned changes but some workers claimed it would see work undertaken by senior staff carried out by junior employees.

They also claimed there would be an overhaul of the salary grading system resulting in some staff receiving less money for doing more work.