The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Calls for greater protection for ‘forgotten staff’
Union urges Scottish Government to boost investment to support school workers
Calls have been made for the Scottish Government to urgently provide significant investment to local authorities to protect the “forgotten workforce” in schools.
In an open letter to Nicola Sturgeon, the GMB union claimed those working as cleaners, caterers and janitors during lockdown are the “workforce that seems to have been forgotten”.
The letter describes them as “undervalued” and put into “unsafe situations” due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The union said: “We do not feel safe at work and we are being put at risk every day.”
“Our employers are giving us the bare minimum PPE and many of us only have access to hand-washing facilities.
“The guidance must be revised and must be more robust – now, not later.”
GMB also argues that a “decade of cuts” to cleaning budgets and staffing has led to workers being employed on multiple contracts, meaning they are moving between buildings throughout the day.
Helen Meldrum, a Dundee GMB Scotland trade union rep, said: “One of the things we are calling for is better, more meaningful contracts.
“We are also talking about the support staff who are often on temporary, part-time contracts and many don’t know if they will get them renewed.
“So you have these workers often having to use public transport to get to work and going to multiple buildings in a day.”
The union’s concerns come just days after Education Secretary John Swinney announced that schools across Scotland could be returning full-time when the new term begins in August.
But the union fears this move could put those who work in schools at further risk unless they are provided with better PPE.
To ensure the safety of school employees when pupils return to classrooms, the union has drawn up a list of requests.
Included is better PPE, investment in bereavement and mental health services, increased cleaning hours and a £2 an hour wage uplift.
An extra £100 million investment over the next two years to tackle the impact of lockdown on schools and pupils was announced earlier this week by the Scottish Government.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Everyone has a right to feel safe at work and we have been clear with local authorities that workers should have appropriate hygiene facilities and, where necessary, access to PPE and any wider support they need.”