The first two days of the latest Ealing parking enforcement strikes have been suspended, as hopes of a deal to end the dispute increased.

Forty five civil enforcement officers (CEOs), who are employed by troubled outsourcing giant Serco on the Ealing council parking enforcement contracts, have been taking strike action since early May in a dispute over the company’s attempts to undermine Unite, by offering severance agreements to Unite representatives and lay members, in order to undermine collective consultation and also over the company’s refusal to negotiate on their absence policy.

The latest two week period of strikes were due to begin on Monday (2 August), but the first two days of strike action have been suspended.

This follows recent successful talks at conciliation service Acas. The decision to suspend the first two days of strike action is to secure a written agreement with Serco on bullying and harassment, as well as a formal agreement that the company’s absence policy is only used as an absolute last resort to dismiss a worker.

If agreement can’t be reached in these areas then the planned walkout from Wednesday 4 August until Sunday 15 August will go ahead as planned.

Unite regional officer Clare Keogh said: “Talks at Acas this week were highly productive and therefore Unite has agreed to suspend the first two days of strike action.

“Unite is hopeful that this will create a window where the union and Serco can hammer out the final details of a deal to finally end this dispute.

“However, if this proves to be impossible then sadly strikes will begin again from next Wednesday which will create fresh disruption to Ealing’s residents.”