Council workers back strike action in equal pay dispute

GMB Scotland said strikes could take place from the end of March.

Glasgow could see more strikes in an equal pay dispute (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Archive)

Council workers including school cleaning and catering staff have voted to back strike action in an equal pay dispute.

The GMB union said members have voted to support strikes over its claim that Glasgow City Council has failed to resolve outstanding equal pay settlements and replace its “discriminatory” pay and grading system.

Almost all (97.8%) of the 54% of members who returned ballots, in services including Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, school cleaning and catering, and parking services, backed walk outs.

The union said it 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.

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

Sean Baillie, GMB Scotland

The local authority agreed to pay out at least £500 million in 2019 following a long-running equal pay row.

Women claimed they were paid £3 an hour less than men in similarly graded roles after a 2006 pay review aimed at ensuring pay parity.

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.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “We’ll await the details from the union. However, it remains disappointing that they balloted members when we have been clear we are ready to make offers on new claims.

“It was agreed with unions that new claims should be settled before we discuss the period after 2018.

“And delays to the implementation of a new pay and grading structure, caused by the pandemic, were also agreed – unions specifically didn’t want members taking part in evaluation interviews during that period.”