COP A LOAD
Striking school cleaners and cooks will join binmen and rail workers in bid to cripple climate change summit and highlight poor pay and conditions
WORKERS will use global climate summit COP26 to highlight poor pay and working conditions.
Union members will go on strike during the two-week event in a bid to force employers to meet their demands.
Transport Minister Graeme Dey yesterday urged ScotRail staff to halt industrial action as it was announced school cleaners and cooks would join refuse workers in a temporary walk-out.
Cleansing workers and schools support staff who are part of the GMB union voted in favour of industrial action that could disrupt the climate summit starting next month.
A total of 1500 Glasgow City Council staff in the refuse, cleansing, school janitorial and catering sectors could strike because of the ongoing pay dispute, with a massive 96.9 per cent of returned ballots backing industrial action.
GMB members rejected a £850-ayear increase for staff earning up to £25,000 a year from local authority umbrella body Cosla, with the union – along with Unison and Unite calling for a £2000 pay rise.
Cosla said that negotiations are ongoing.
It comes as RMT organiser Michael Hogg said there wouldn’t be any trains during the summit. He described a 4.7 per cent increase offer to ScotRail staff as a “kick in the teeth” and “rotten”.
GMB Glasgow organiser, Chris Mitchell, said: “Over the past 18 months throughout this awful pandemic, essential services across Scotland have been held together by an army of low-paid workers.
“We were called key workers, even Covid heroes, but while politicians were happy to applaud us on Thursday nights, they’ve never put
their hands in their pockets to pay us properly. “The eyes of the world will be on Glasgow during COP26, and our politicians now have a choice – will they fairly reward the frontline workers who got the country through the pandemic, or will they risk embarrassing the city and the country on an international stage?
“The message that our members have sent with this ballot result is clear. We are taking a stand for what we deserve, and we believe the people will stand with us.”
The call for industrial action comes after Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken was criticised for saying the city needs a “spruce up” before the COP26 conference.
Her comments received a backlash from politicians and members of the public who claimed she was “out of touch” with the city. Meanwhile Hogg told Good Morning Scotland that ScotRail’s pay proposal to their staff was “lousy”, adding: “This offer is not worthy of consideration, it’s a kick in the teeth to workers.
“That’s our position. The offer does not meet union policy. It’s a rotten, lousy offer.
“We’re seeking meaningful talks to find a solution to the current dispute.”
Dey appeared earlier on the show and asked employees to halt strike action. He said: “Many RMT members will have voted unaware of the offer which is now on the table.
“This was a mandate for industrial action on the premise that no offer was forthcoming but events have completely overtaken that.
“All ScotRail employees on the general grace have been offered a pay deal and I’m hoping that the RMT will recognise as such and vote to
accept that offer. They can do it by two ways, either through the national executive or by balloting their members.”
ScotRail staff will strike from Monday November 1 until Friday November 12.
Staff on the Caledonian Sleeper will hold two 24-hour strikes: one from 11.59am on Sunday October 31 and one on Thursday November 11, also from 11.59am.