The council, which runs the facilities, says safety is its priority and that 18 new lifeguards have recently been recruited
Staff at Tower Hamlets Council’s leisure centres are balloting for strikes over working conditions. The Unite union, whose members include lifeguards, says staff have faced “unsafe working practices” since the council took its leisure service back in-house.
A council spokesperson said the town hall has “worked closely with staff and trade unions to ensure fair and improved terms and conditions”.
Tower Hamlets Council brought its leisure services back under its control in May 2024. Its leisure centres had previously been operated by the private company Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL).
GLL staff were transferred into the council, and those on zero-hour contracts were told they’d be employed on council terms and conditions. However, a letter to the council from Unite officials claims that “the majority of workers remain without secure contracts”. It says: “Large groups – including swim teachers and fitness instructors – still have no contracts at all.”
The letter also claims that Unite members have “raised grave concerns about public and staff safety”. It claims staff on zero hours contracts have faced “dangerously understaffed sites” and “excessive hours”.
The council had to close or cancel several swimming sessions at its leisure centres last year after temporarily losing access to workers from a staffing agency. The letter says: “Our members also raised grave concerns about public and staff safety, with dangerously understaffed sites, inadequate supervision, excessive hours, and workers being pushed into high-risk roles without proper training or support.”
The letter to the council, sent on January 28, informs Tower Hamlets mayor Lutur Rahman and chief executive Stephen Halsey that Unite would ballot its members for industrial action. It’s understood this includes strikes. The ballot is set to end on February 25.
The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in December that all casual and full-time staff had been offered contracts under its terms and conditions. It now says it has offered permanent contracts to casual workers wherever possible. It says a majority of staff are on permanent council contracts, but that the process was delayed by the dispute with Unite.
The council also says it is monitoring working patterns to ensure none of its staff feel pressured to take on extra hours. It says it encourages staff members to raise any concerns.
The town hall says safety is its priority and that it has had to cancel a small number of sessions that it could not staff. It says it has recruited 18 new lifeguards, and expects to fill remaining vacancies soon.
Speaking to councillors last month, the town hall’s director of culture Jahur Ali said his department was “trying to change the culture” at leisure centres after taking the service back in-house. He said: “It’s like turning a tanker. People have been working for 25 years in a certain way.
“Managers at the centre will not give people shifts if they’ve done something wrong or they’ve not turned up. Now by having contracts with the council on a set rota and a pattern, those managers cannot take people’s hours away because now they’ve got set hours.”
A council spokesperson said: “The council has worked closely with staff and trade unions to ensure fair and improved terms and conditions for all colleagues. We have already issued many permanent contracts, giving staff greater stability and are now progressing the remaining offers following constructive discussions with the unions.”
They added: “We have also strengthened staffing across leisure services, including recruiting new lifeguards, improving rota management, and putting measures in place to maintain safe operations. We remain committed to supporting staff, stabilising the service and delivering a reliable, high-quality offer for residents.”
