Glasgow council workers set for new wave of strike action

Thousands of council workers previously staged a strike over an equal pay dispute in 2018

Thousands of Glasgow workers could go on strike over the next two months in a new wave of industrial action.

The GMB union says cleansing staff are to be balloted in December as recent negotiations with the council leader failed to appease workers.

Members across home care, Glasgow Life, education and social work will also be balloted in January in a row over pay.

Glasgow City Council said it does not believe there is any justification for strike action.

Earlier this month cleansing workers staged an eight-day strike which coincided with Glasgow hosting COP26.

It led to piles of rubbish on the streets but a council offer of a 5.8% pay rise plus another 14 extra concessions was not enough to remove the threat of further action.

GMB Scotland organiser Sean Baillie said the ballot results reflect the fact the council's lowest-paid workers have been "undervalued, exploited and ignored".

The union said four-fifths of cleansing workers have said they would be willing to strike again.

And it claimed 99% of members across home care, Glasgow Life, education, and social work were prepared to take similar action.

Street bins were overflowing on Victoria Road in Glasgow during the cleansing strike earlier this month

Mr Baillie added: "It sends a clear message to the council and government that there must be change in Glasgow.

"Scotland's biggest city has deep and chronic problems, it is blighted by low-pay and discrimination, and its budget has been hammered by years of cuts."

Mr Baillie said the base rate of pay for the bottom three council grades is below £20,000 and "one of the lowest in the country".

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: "We are currently negotiating in good faith on the equal pay issue with claimants' representatives.

"The 14-point plan for the cleansing service was rejected by GMB leadership a fortnight ago but there has been constructive dialogue with GMB leadership since then."

He added any communication over the consultative ballots will be dealt with appropriately at the time.

The spokesman concluded: "We do not believe there will be any justification for strike action."