High noon: Union plans Tuesday protest at RBS

Banks urged to insist their contractors pay a living wage

GMB Scotland is to hold a protest demonstration outside Royal Bank of Scotland HQ in St Andrew Square on Tuesday to step up the campaign for them to pay a living wage to members employed by G4S and ISS to provide security and cleaning at RBS buildings across Britain.

This is second protest in a GMB campaign to persuade banks like RBS and Lloyds to pay a living wage to security workers and cleaners who work as contractors for G4S, ISS and Mitie in their building estates across Britain.

GMB held a protest outside RBS in London on 8 December and more protests are planned outside RBS and Lloyds in Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester during December.

Last month the Living Wage Foundation announced that a living wage should be raised by 40p per hour from £7.85 per hour to £8.25 across the UK and by 25p per hour from £9.15p to £9.40 in London.

GMB Congress set a living wage at £10 per hour but pay rates for G4S security staff in Edinburgh ranges from £7.27 – £7.97, while Mitie staff receive just £7 (rising to £7.20 in Jan).

Calne Waterson, GMB Scotland Officer, said: “Employers paying a living wage is now common place and it is time that RBS and Lloyds insisted that contractors pay all their employees a living wage. We baled out the fat cats in 2008, it’s about time they returned some of the cream.

“GMB Scotland is calling on RBS and Lloyds banks to immediately fund contracts and insist that their private contractors pay a living wage to staff working in the bank’s expensive and prestigious buildings.

“It has suited both RBS and Lloyds Banks to sign up to being accredited living wage employers as all their staff are already paid more. Unless the banks fund contracts and insist that their contractors pay up now, it’s only just a cheap PR stunt.

“GMB Scotland supports the work of Living Wage Foundation to raise wages. We will pursue an active campaign so that RBS and Lloyd ensure members working for contractors are treated the same as direct staff.

“GMB Scotland will continue to press for a living wage to be set at £10 per hour as agreed at GMB Congress. Members make clear in their experience you need at least £10 an hour and a full working week to have a decent life free from benefits and tax credits.

“Less than £10 an hour means just existing not living. It means a life of isolation, unable to socialise. It means a life of constant anxiety over paying bills and of borrowing from friends, family and pay day loan sharks just to make ends meet.”