Glasgow cleansing workers planning to strike warned to ‘think again’ by council

A GMB representative revealed refuse workers in Glasgow have voted in favour of industrial action if they don’t receive an improved pay offer by Monday.

The union is in a pay dispute with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) — which said “constructive negotiations” are continuing.

And, while the pay negotiations are at a national level, a Glasgow City Council spokesman said strike action during the United Nations conference would have a “disproportionate and unfair local impact”.

Chris Mitchell, from the GMB, said the workers had been called “Covid heroes” and “heroes deserve a decent pay rise”.

The council spokesman said: “These are national, rather than local, pay negotiations. The union has not made clear what action it intends to take so it’s impossible to say what the impact will be.

“However COP will undoubtedly be a busy and difficult time for the city and its residents.

“Holding this action only in Glasgow at this time will have disproportionate and unfair local impact on pursuit of a national campaign. We urge them to think again about the timing of this.”

COP26 will run from October 31 to November 12 and will see world leaders, as well as thousands of delegates, descend on Glasgow for crucial talks on the climate emergency.

Last month, 95 per cent of members who participated in the GMB’s consultative ballot turned down an £850 increase for local government staff earning up to £25,000 a year.

The union then moved to a full industrial ballot of members employed in schools, local refuse and cleansing services across Scotland.

In a post on social media, the union’s Glasgow City Council branch claimed: “In Glasgow we have reached the legal threshold in our industrial action ballot. 96.9 per cent voted in favour of industrial action in response to the latest pay offer from COSLA.

“Unless there is an improved offer on Monday, we will be taking action in Glasgow during COP26.”

In a video, Mr Mitchell said: “This is when low paid workers take a stance against COSLA and say enough is enough.”

A spokesman for COSLA said: “We appreciate 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.

“We continue with ongoing constructive negotiations.”