End the freeze, Enfield!

Who are we?

We are cycling instructors who work for Enfield Council’s outsourced cycle training provider. We work for Enfield delivering Bikeability courses to primary schools, delivering adult cycle sessions, delivering Dr Bike mechanic sessions, Safe Urban Driving courses for HGV drivers, complete beginner courses and we have also been involved with risk assessing cycle infrastructure in Enfield.

Why are we protesting?

We have asked Enfield council for 4 things:

1. A pay rise because we haven’t had a pay rise in 12 years. According to the Bank of England, this is a pay cut of £7.44 an hour or £172 a week.
2. An end to unpaid work. Instructors only get paid for the contact time with the pupils but there is at least an hour a day of other work involved, including risk assessments, reporting, surveying roads etc. If it is part of the job, it should be part of the pay.
3. A fair cancellation policy. At the moment, the school can cancel a course that is likely to have been booked four or five months in advance with just one days notice and the instructor then loses all pay for that course. We are asking for a policy that protects pay from short-notice cancellations. If run properly, this should not cost the council any money at all.
4. Union recognition. Voluntary union recognition is the basic hallmark of a good employer. But both Enfield and Cycle Confident, the outsourced company, are refusing to discuss union recognition with us at all.

How have Enfield responded?

Enfield refuses to acknowledge that we are their responsibility. Instead they say ‘you don’t work for us, you work for Cycle Confident’.

They refuse to meet to discuss the issues raised, saying that the provider has told them that the problems we raise are not problems at all. They have not even acknowledged the pay cut. They refuse to discuss union recognition with us or make it a condition for the provider.

Do we really work for Enfield?

• We work at Enfield schools
• Teaching Enfield pupils
• On Enfield Roads
• As instructed by Enfield council officers
• We fix Enfield bikes
• At Enfield venues
• Under terms and conditions dictated by the Enfield tendering contract

What do you think? Who do you think we work for?

What should Enfield do?

• Meet us to discuss the issues  (Cost: £0)
• Enter voluntary recognition talks (Cost: £0)
• Insist the provider company enters voluntary recognition talks (Cost: £0)
• Adopt the Bikeability Trust cancellation policy (Cost: £0)
• Stop asking us to work for free and pay us for all the duties carried out (£140 per week)
• Immediately renegotiate with Cycle Confident the delivery contract to include a pay rise for instructors (£172 per week)

Wouldn’t that mean less money available for delivering cycle training?

Yes. But the alternative is that the workforce continue to subsidise Enfield out of it’s own lost wages. Or, the council could raise the budget for cycle training. The budget for cycle training is a fraction of what has been spent on cycle infrastructure.

What are the next steps in the campaign?

Members have voted to ballot for industrial action. The ballot will take place in July. We also have more protests planned for the summer.

How can I help?

• Follow us on Twitter and share our content
• Contact your councillors telling them that we ARE their responsibility and to stop hiding behind their outsource contractor
• Join us on our protest rides

Find out more:

• Read an article about our campaign
• Join the union
• Find out more about the IWGB