Ealing traffic wardens pressured to meet “rip off” ticket targets will protest outside councillor surgeries this evening, as parking fines are set to increase from £130 to £160.
The civil enforcement officers, employed by Greener Ealing, began industrial action in August 2024 over the council-controlled company’s alleged refusal to recognise their union, Unite.
Since then, four wardens have been sacked on “trumped up charges” while they were taking strike action, Unite claims.
Two protests have been scheduled for this week, on Friday and Saturday, which will be held outside of Ealing councillors’ surgeries.
The first protest will take place on Friday from 6 pm to 7 pm outside the joint surgery of Amarjit Jammu, Shital Manro, and Muhammed Iqbal. The second is scheduled for Saturday from 10 am to 12.30 pm outside the surgery of Ealing councillor and head of parking services, Paul Driscoll.
Unite argues that enforcement officers have different roles from the rest of Greener Ealing’s waste management workforce. As a distinct group, they are seeking union recognition for collective bargaining on their behalf.
The stark contrast between the roles became evident in February when audio recordings obtained by The Standard revealed that wardens working for Ealing Council were being instructed to issue “10 or 11” tickets per eight-hour shift.
Failure to do so would result in the wardens being spoken to about “low performance”, according to several recordings.
The Traffic Management Act prohibits councils from setting targets for tickets – also known as PCNs or penalty charge notices – or revenue from parking enforcement.
According to the union, the number of parking tickets issued in Ealing doubled between 2022 and 2023. Revenue from parking fines increased by £2.6 million over the same period – a rise of 149 per cent. On Monday, parking charges across Ealing will increase from £130 to £160.
The current round of strikes began on March 12 and will end on April 12.
The union has warned industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Greener Ealing and Ealing Council aren’t just union-busting — they’re putting workers in danger while ripping off residents.
“Forcing staff to hit unlawful ticket quotas fuels abuse and assaults, with rising ticket prices just making things worse.
“The council must reinstate the unfairly dismissed workers and recognise their union to guarantee proper protection and we call on councillors to take action to ensure this happens.”
Ealing Council has been contacted by The Standard for comment.
