Equal Pay strike: “Women have died in this city waiting on equal pay. It’s beyond a disgrace”
A historic mass strike for equal pay by 8,000 council workers in Glasgow, 90% of whom are women, will take place on 23rd and 24th October. The strike is being organised by Unison and the GMB trade unions.
Home care workers, cleaners, caterers, learning support workers, child development officers, school administration staff and janitors will be striking. This is expected to shutdown primary schools, nurseries and cultural buildings across the city, as well as impacting on the care of 6,000 clients.
For twelve years, low paid workers have been underpaid by a Workforce Benefits and Pay Review (WBPR) pay scheme that was supposed to end inequality.
The Court of Session has ruled twice that WBPR is unequal. Successive Blairite Labour and now SNP council administrations have failed to give these low paid workers what they are owed.
The unions involved are demanding:
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The individual claimants are compensated for past discrimination as soon as possible and the council to commit funding to ensure pay equality, justice and security for all.
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A new job evaluation scheme which delivers pay equality and pay justice for all.
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The council to commit funding to ensure pay equality, justice and security for all.
This strike action, with ballots smashing the anti union thresholds with 90% votes for strike action, has come about after 10 months of empty promises in meetings by the SNP and council officers.
Denise, Norah and Isabelle are Unison members and home care workers. They spoke to Matt Dobson from Socialist Party Scotland.
Denise explained: “For ten months and after 21 meetings with the trade unions and Action 4 Equality, the council now say they haven’t even looked at our proposals for comparators for job roles. It’s insulting. The council have agreed nothing, offered nothing, they just want meetings about meetings. There is righteous anger among members. Enough is enough! We gave them a chance after they publicly committed to real negotiations and participation from claimants in the summer after the massive vote for action in our consultative ballot. They blew it. They now have a massive strike in response!.
They are out to sell us short and save money instead of real justice. They have tried to hang on to WBPR when especially the shift allowances are discriminatory.”
Norah spoke powerfully about the disgraceful way workers were treated way back in 2006 when the previous unequal pay scheme was replaced. “We have learned very bitter lessons from that experience. We were offered small amounts near Christmas, way below what we were owed, like £6,000. Some women took it just to give something to their families. Their desperation was cynically exploited. Never again with this. We are all absolutely determined to get the full amount we are owed. If they think they can use Christmas again they are mistaken.
The council need to understand we are serious about this action and we have mass support. A women came to me the other day in TK Maxx after seeing the uniform “good on you and all the best”, she said. Our clients who we care for want to come to the pickets and demonstrations”
Denise, Norah and Isabelle also spoke of the pride in their trade union and the intense atmosphere of fightback building up to the strike. Hundreds of new members have joined. Strike and ballot strategy meetings with hundreds of members attending have been electric and have built the mood.
Denise and Norah explained that equal pay has become like a lightening rod for all the anger on workplace issues. Issues Unison is also taking up like workload.
“Last year the Red Alert during the snow storms saw our frontline staff were out risking their safety getting to people’s homes”.
Isabelle commented: “The physical strain of home care work is massive. Under this pay scheme the over time isn’t worthwhile. I’ve ended up worse off with more work”.
Another key issue in the dispute is how pensions will be factored into the negotiated settlement. Other local authorities have made settlements and payouts without pensions included. This is another issue the Glasgow equal pay strikers are fighting on, with the potential of tens of thousands of pounds on top of the significant compensation owed for unequal wages.
Norah highlighted, “We are fighting for this because it has impacted that much on folks lives. We have claimants who are now seventy, who because of this have been struggling for years, who haven’t been able to enjoy a pension. Women have died in this city waiting on equal pay. It’s beyond a disgrace! And still they delay with the money”
Home care workers are also incensed that the council officers and SNP administration have publicly said a home care strike over equal pay is unjustified as it puts vulnerable people in danger.
Isabelle and Norah make the point that councillors and senior officers have no clue about the demands of the job, and how difficult it is to survive on low pay. This strike has been provoked by their inaction.
Norah told me: “After all the election promises, this should be the main priority. We want and need our money that we have worked for now. It’s not about the SNP and Labour playing politics. Not just for the council but the Scottish government as well”.
The strikers reading about the strike of the Birmingham council Homecare workers in the Socialist send full solidarity to those workers.
It is estimated that the cost of implementing Equal Pay compensation and a new fair and equal pay evaluation scheme going forward could be over £500 million. Glasgow City Unison has consistently demanded that this cannot be paid for by cuts to any services or by selling assets that benefit the public. The council must use borrowing powers and appeal to the Scottish and Westminster governments for financial assistance.
Until recently the home care workers were employed by an arms length organisation, Cordia, but after a successful campaign by the trade unions this has been brought back under council control.
Education workers are also a key element of the strike action as Denise highlighted saying there has been fantastic unity.
In a press statement Shona Thomson, GMB Branch Secretary, said : “We do physically demanding jobs and our bones are getting old,” she says. “For years we didn’t say anything because we were scared for our jobs and we didn’t know our worth. Now we’re saying enough is enough.”
Norah, Denise and Isabelle had a final message: “We say we will not be made to feel guilty by this council. They have robbed us and seem to be still trying to cut down on what we are owed. It’s our money that we worked and sacrificed for. We say to everyone around the country and in the city, picket with us, join the demonstrations, donate to the strike fund. We are fighting also for young people, for future council workers. What do we want ? Equal Pay! When do we want it ? Now!”.
Socialist Party Scotland members play a leading role in the socialist-led Glasgow City Unison branch and we offer full support to the strikers.
This strike deserves the support of the whole trade union movement. Already Dundee City Unison and Salford City Unison have donated to the strike fund. Socialist Students are collecting on campuses. What you can do:
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Publicise the strikes and the campaign and encourage members to visit and support pickets and trade union demonstrations
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Send a public letter of solidarity to Unison and the GMB local government Glasgow branches. Unison email enquiries@glasgowcityunison.co.uk
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Make a collection for the strike fund
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Take a solidarity photo with #Equal Pay Glasgow Now! signs to send to Unison and the GMB and display on social media
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To write to local councillors, council leader Susan Aitken and council chief executive Anne Marie O’Donnell demanding they reach a real negotiated settlement with the unions and engage in real dialogue. No more delays in paying compensation and committing to an equal pay job evaluation scheme going forward
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Write to SNP MSPs and the Scottish government demanding they give Glasgow the funds needed for Equal Pay and stop austerity and low pay in Glasgow by defying the Tories and setting no cuts budgets.
Strike fund donations to
UNITY Trust
Sort code 60 83 01 A/c Number 20275789
Drew Rigden
Treasurer UNISON Glasgow City Branch
84 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQTel: 0141-552-7069
