Parking staff to strike during world cycling championships

Disruption looms at Cycling World Championship as parking staff vote to strike

A showcase international cycling event faces disruption after council parking staff in Scotland’s biggest city voted to strike.

GMB Scotland has announced 95% of members in parking services at Glasgow City Council have backed industrial action when the UCI Cycling World Championship arrives in Scotland next month.

The mandate for industrial action threatens city-wide disruption during the event when illegally parked cars could hamper cyclists and obstruct road races.

Parking staff’s support for strike action was announced today before the world’s leading riders compete in the ten-day event starting on August 3. Meanwhile, GMB Scotland continues to ballot 8000 local government members working in schools and early years on industrial action in support of a fairer pay offer.

The vote was called after 94% of more than 21,000 GMB members working for Scottish councils rejected a pay offer of 5.5%, less than council colleagues were offered in England and Wales.

GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services, Keir Greenaway said: “The overwhelming support for industrial action among our members in parking services should come as no surprise after they were offered a pay rise so far below the rate of inflation during an unprecedented cost of living crisis.

“The World Cycling Championships should be an opportunity to showcase our country around the globe and to risk it being disrupted by failing to properly recognise the work of our members is an appalling act of self-harm by our council leaders.

“When it was clear Cosla were unable or unwilling to negotiate a fair pay rise, we urged the Scottish Government to get involved to fund an improved offer. That intervention is even more urgently needed now.

“The work of our members in local government delivers the crucial services that allows Scotland to function and must be properly recognised. If it is not, their work will stop, those crucial services will not be delivered and Scotland will stop functioning.”