Tag: bin strikes

GMB warns anger over low pay isn’t going away as cleansing workers demand fresh ballot

Following a workforce meeting in George Square yesterday (Monday 8 November), Glasgow City Council cleansing workers demanded a fresh strike ballot against their employer over low pay. 

It means a second wave of strikes could hit cleansing services in Scotland’s biggest city in the run-up to Christmas. Eight days of strike action conclude this evening at 23.59 hours. 

Calls from the workforce come after talks this weekend between GMB and Glasgow City Council Leader Susan Aitken, which secured commitments from the council to: 

  • review the value of pay for all workers on the lowest grades (Grades 1,2 & 3 – an estimated 10,000 workers currently earning less than £20,000 a year) as part of the process to remove its discriminatory pay and grading system; and 
  • pursue investment for cleansing infrastructure and resources to tackle the city’s waste crisis, alongside a range of new employee development and well-being measures to address management mistreatment of staff. 

However, the council refused workers’ demands for a one-off “Glasgow Payment” for all workers on Grades 1, 2 and 3 as a means of addressing the cost-of-living crisis being faced now by many council workers in Scotland’s biggest city.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Keir Greenaway said: “It’s taken a strike to get Glasgow’s leadership in the room and acknowledge the council’s chronic low pay problems, the waste crisis in our communities, and the toxic management culture in the cleansing department. 

“It is important to understand that strikes don’t happen by accident. They are a consequence of workers’ feeling undervalued, disrespected, and ignored for too long, and it’s clear that a few days of talks and the initial outcomes from this aren’t enough to remedy the impact of a decade of cuts. 

“Our members in cleansing, like so many of their colleagues in other services like home care, school support, parks and gardens, and Glasgow Life, are the backbone of the city’s workforce but they are struggling on wages that simply do not make ends meet. 

“It’s why our members have demanded a fresh ballot, which could mean a second wave of strikes in the run up to Christmas. They want more to be done to properly value key workers and to tackle the significant service and workforce challenges facing their city. 

“That’s something the council, COSLA and ultimately the Scottish Government should reflect on today because it’s very clear this anger isn’t going away until these problems are confronted.”

First Minister: Scotland to show leadership on Climate Justice

Investment to tackle “loss and damage” from climate change

Funding to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities recover from and build resilience against climate change will be announced as world leaders gather for COP26.

The Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund will provide £1 million to support a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to help communities repair and rebuild from climate-related events, such as flooding and wild fires.

The partnership forms part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure COP26 empowers the most vulnerable to tackle structural inequalities.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will make the announcement at the Global Climate Assembly at a Green Zone event today, where she will set out Scotland’s intention to bridge the divide between those whose voices are rarely heard and those making the decisions.

The First Minister said: “Climate justice has to be at the heart of COP26 – and the Scottish Government is working to ensure that it provides a platform for unheard voices, including citizens, young people and those from the Global South.

“Through our work on climate justice, Scotland continues to proudly support nations which – despite having done the least to cause climate change – are already suffering its impact.

“We don’t have the resources of other western governments, but we can lead by example. And so I’m pleased to announce that not only are we doubling our climate justice fund to £24 million – we’re also entering into a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to support communities and address loss and damage, supported by this £1 million investment.

“I hope this will galvanise other organisations to support the partnership – and show world leaders that where small nations lead they can follow, by making similarly ambitious commitments during COP26.”

The First Minister met with President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, yesterday to discuss a COP hub which will open in the country to connect Malawian youth and community leaders to events in Glasgow (top).

She also met the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr Pham Min Chihn, at Bute House (above).

The doubling of the Climate Justice Fund was announced in September.

Glasgow Bin Strikes Underway

Glasgow’s cleansing service went on strike from 00.01am this morning.

Responding to the collapse of last ditch talks between GMB and Glasgow City Council late last night, , GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “We met the council in good faith, offering a clear set of proposals to reset industrial relations and avoid strikes. The council rejected these proposals.  

“We specifically offered heads of terms to work together to tackle the chronic and unacceptable problems caused by years of cuts, to urgently address the employer’s unresolved discriminatory pay system and outstanding equal pay liabilities, and back this with a commitment from the council that they would not use anti-trade union laws against their workers again.  

“We also proposed the Scottish Government support this process, because if the fair work agenda is to have any credibility whatsoever, then Scotland’s biggest city should be the example of it rather than the opposite.  

“Regrettably, the council refused this massive opportunity to move forward and strike action across the cleansing service will now begin, during which time our members will be balloted on the COSLA pay offer.”