New Equal Pay Dispute Looms In Glasgow

New Equal Pay Dispute Looms In Glasgow As Staff Back Strike Action Against Council Discrimination

Staff affected by equal pay across a raft of Glasgow City Council services have today (Tuesday 1 March) voted to support strikes against the employer’s failure to resolve outstanding equal pay settlements and replace its discriminatory pay and grading system.

An overwhelming 97.8 per cent of ballots returned from GMB members in services including Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), school cleaning and catering, and parking services voted yes for strikes, with the overall turnout comfortably passing the statutory threshold for industrial action ballots.

The result could mean a fresh wave of equal pay strikes affecting these services from as early as the end of March, with disruption also possible in the run-up to the local authority elections at the beginning of May.

GMB Scotland Organiser Sean Baillie said:

“Our members need equal pay justice and an end to the discriminatory pay and grading system that remains in place.

“That’s the clear message this ballot result sends to the council officials who should be negotiating properly with our claimant groups and to every councillor seeking election in May.

“The council’s liabilities are growing every working hour of every working day and the cost will likely run into the hundreds of million yet again, so the situation is critical for our members, the services they deliver, and the city’s finances.

“That’s why we need an urgent negotiation process to be conducted in good faith between the council and the claimant groups, if strike action is to be avoided.” 

ENDS

Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser Sean Baillie on 07813 593996 or GMB Scotland Communications on 07976 447077.