Kingston Council is facing increasing pressure from trade union, GMB, opposition councillors, and local campaigners amid ongoing strike action by parking wardens.

There is now also a threat of further industrial action from school transport and refuse workers in the borough.

Parking enforcement officers employed by the council's private contractor APCOA Parking have now walked out for 18 days since November, demanding a pay raise from £13.85 to £15 an hour.

In other London boroughs, wardens are paid up to £16.50.

Councillor James Giles, Independent Opposition councillor for Kingston, and union officials say Kingston's leadership has refused to engage in dialogue.

GMB Regional Organiser Alex Etches calls this move "disgraceful" and "unacceptable".

"They are one of the few sources of actual revenue raising workers in the local authority," said Etches.

"We've attempted to meet with Matthew Essex, who is the Director of Place, and attempted to meet with the leader of Kingston Council, and the response has been that they will not meet with us.

"We think as a matter of course the council should meet with us to maintain good industrial relations."

The controversy was heightened over claims that APCOA used agency workers to cover striking roles, a move that would breach UK employment law.

APCOA denies this, insisting that agency staff were only brought in to fill pre-existing vacancies.

But Cllr Giles says that explanation does not hold up.

"The GMB and the workers themselves say that those agency workers have only been brought in now they are on strike. So, I have asked for a full investigation from our council to actually investigate and get to the bottom of this," he said.

So far, the council has said it is "content" with APCOA'S assurances and has seen no evidence of strike breaking. However, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) is now investigating the complaint.

Both GMB and local campaigners are also asking whether the council is enforcing performance penalties on APCOA for service disruption.

"I have asked the council now three times whether or not they will be levying those penalties, so our taxpayers are not paying for a service they are not getting," Cllr Giles added.

"I have heard back diddly squat, so I have now put in a Freedom of Information request about that."

Kezia Coleman, Chair of the Kingston and Surbiton Labour Party, also criticised the Liberal Democrat-led administration for its lack of engagement.

"The council cannot sit on its hands. These APCOA workers deliver a council-run public service. They must not be treated as second-class workers simply because their employment is outsourced," she said.

The dispute could soon widen, as GMB has confirmed that it has balloted transport workers employed by Achieving for Children (AfC), the company that runs Kingston's school transport system.

Etches warns that strike action could coincide with the new school term starting in September, potentially leaving children with special education needs (SEND) without transport to school.

Refuse workers employed by Veolia are also reportedly considering strike action over what GMB calls "undignified working conditions", specifically over a lack of access to toilets.

Despite this, the Council maintains there are no formal strike notices from either AfC or Veolia, and that both companies are London Living Wage employers with "recently confirmed new pay awards".

Etches warns that the union will continue escalating the dispute unless there is meaningful engagement.

"Putting their fingers in their ears and refusing to listen is not going to work. The council has a responsibility to ensure that the contract they are engaged in is behaving in a responsible, ethical, and legal manner," he said.

In a statement issued on 1 August, Kingston Council said that it is "not the direct employer" of the striking parking officers and said it has "no formal role" in the pay dispute.

Pressure is now growing for the council to take a more active role under the threat of increased disruptions.

The GMB and the opposition has called for an urgent meeting, but at the time of writing, no such meeting has been confirmed.