Strikes could hit Glasgow again as union says members back action
THOUSANDS of council workers are to be balloted for strike action across multiple areas of the local authority. GMB Scotland members are being asked their view on picketing over complaints about low pay and pay discrimination.
Union groups across home care, Glasgow Life, education, and social work are being asked to walk out over what GMB Scotland says is the council’s attempts to exclude over a fifth of posts included in the 2019 equal pay settlement from future liabilities.
GMB Scotland Organiser Sean Baillie said: “The lowest-paid workers in Glasgow City Council have been undervalued, exploited and ignored, and their anger is reflected in these overwhelming ballot results.
“It sends a clear message to the council and government that there must be change in Glasgow.
“Scotland’s biggest city has deep and chronic problems, it is blighted by low-pay and discrimination, and its budget has been hammered by years of cuts.
“That’s not talking Glasgow down, it’s simply stating facts.
“No political party has clean hands in this Glasgow story and politicians at all levels of representation should listen to the voices of these workers because it will need a response from them all.
“But our members aren’t going to stand on ceremony, they understand it’s only through their industrial strength that they can hope to make work better and ultimately make Glasgow better.”
Meanwhile, staff in the council’s cleansing services recently put 14 points of improvement in working conditions to council leader Susan Aitken.
Some three-quarters of members in the city’s cleansing services have now said these do not go far enough, with fourfifths saying they would be willing to strike again in response.
A statutory industrial action ballot of cleansing workers will now take place in December, while workers in services impacted by the council’s ongoing pay discrimination will commence a ballot in January.
It comes after the Glasgow Times exclusively told on Saturday how an overwhelming majority of school janitors and cleaners had balloted for strike action over pay and conditions.
Unless negotiations with contractor Amey move forward, a strike is likely for the first two weeks of December when pupils are set to sit prelim exams.
A council spokesperson said: “As these are consultative ballots we have received no prior notification from GMB.
“If there is any communication from GMB following their consultative ballots, it will be dealt with appropriately at that time.”