Binmen confirmed to strike during COP26
BINMEN and school staff in Glasgow will strike during COP26 amid a pay rise row, it has been confirmed. Around 1500 cleansing employees, janitors, cleaners and catering workers will walk out on November 1 as the climate summit gets under way.
The GMB – a union that represents the Glasgow City Council employees – says the strikes come after a “kick in the teeth” pay proposal from COSLA.
Chris Mitchell, Branch 40 convener, said: “After the last 14 months working throughout a global pandemic we were called Covid heroes, essential workers and critical workers.
“This pay rise proposal comes as a kick in the teeth for our members. We feel badly let down by the
Scottish Government and COSLA. We were proud of the work we carried out under pressure doing our civic duty for this city and risked carrying the virus home to our families.
“I would say to COSLA to come and look workers in the eye and say to them Covid heroes do not deserve any more.
“I find it shocking that low-paid workers are being treated this way but this time, they’re going to come out fighting. I will stand by them at the picket line come November 1.
“The ball is in COSLA’s court now – they need to do the right thing and pay them what they deserve.”
The strikes are expected to last for the duration of the climate event and will end on November 12.
Pay talks with the umbrella body – that represents each of Scotland’s local authorities – stalled last week.
The GMB rejected the association’s £850 pay rise proposal for those earning up to £25,000 a year, after 95% of staff balloted against the bid last month.
Around 100 world leaders and 25,000 delegates are expected to descend onto the city on November 1 for crunch talks about the global environment.
COSLA said that it would continue to negotiate with the workers over a pay deal.
A spokesperson said: “We appreciate everything that local government workers have been doing, and continue to do, to support people and communities during the pandemic and as we begin to recover.
“We continue with ongoing constructive negotiations.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “These are national, rather than local, pay negotiations and it is difficult to understand why this step has been taken while those negotiations remain ongoing.
“COP will undoubtedly be a busy and difficult time for the city and its residents. Holding this action only in Glasgow at this time will have disproportionate and unfair local impact in pursuit of a national campaign. We urge them to think again about the timing of this.”
Elsewhere, rail workers have also voted “overwhelmingly” to take industrial action during COP26 over an ongoing pay dispute with ScotRail.
Members of the RMT union will walk out for 12 days at midnight on Monday, November 1 until midnight on Friday, November 12. It is thought this will cause significant disruption to the rail work during the major climate conference.