Cooks and cleaners join workers planning strikes during COP26

SCHOOL cleaners and cooks are set to join refuse workers on strike during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

It came as union organisers said all Scotrail services could end up being cancelled during the conference as a result of separate strike action by rail workers.

Opposition politicians have called on SNP ministers to work to find a solution before “time runs out”, amid warnings of chaos.

COP26, which will take place from October 31 to November 12, is expected to draw around 30,000 people to Glasgow, including world leaders such as US President Joe Biden.

But 1,500 Glasgow City Council staff in the refuse, cleansing, school janitorial and catering sectors could strike because of an ongoing pay dispute, with 96.9 per cent of returned ballots backing industrial action.

GMB members rejected a £850-a-year pay increase for staff earning up to £25,000 from council umbrella body Cosla, with the union – along with Unison and Unite – all calling for a £2,000 pay rise.

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.”

A Cosla spokesman said it appreciates “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”.

He added: “We continue with ongoing, constructive negotiations.”

The RMT union previously confirmed Scotrail workers will strike from Monday, November 1, until Friday, November 12, in a separate dispute over pay and conditions.

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.

But SNP Transport Minister Graeme Dey said the vote for strike action is

“no longer valid” and called for RMT members to vote again, claiming there is now a “very fair offer” for Scotrail staff.

Speaking to the BBC’S Good Morning Scotland programme,

Mr Dey argued that “circumstances have changed” since members voted for strike action.

However, RMT Scotland organiser Michael Hogg said it was a “lousy, rotten offer” of a 4.7% increase which was not worthy of consideration because it required “members to sell hard-earned terms and conditions in order to get a pay rise”.

He added that all Scotrail services could end up being cancelled during the COP26 summit as a result of the strikes.

Scotrail’s operations director David Simpson said: “We made a very positive offer to (the RMT) last weekend which – at that point – seemed to be acceptable.

“It offered a two-year deal, there was 4.7% worth of pay rise in there which, given the current industry financial position, is very significant.”

Describing the prospect of more strikes as “very frustrating”, he added: “What we need to do now is work together to build by custom.

“Following Covid, we’re still only at 50% of previous customer levels. That leads to very significant financial challenges and it’s against that backdrop we were able to make the offer to the unions last week, which we hoped would resolve these issues, allow us to work together to deliver a great COP26 and then build the business back through the next few years.”

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson called on the Scottish Government to take action, saying: “SNP ministers must work with all parties to find a solution before these persisting strikes cast a shadow over COP26.”

We are taking a stand for what we deserve, and we believe the people will stand with us