Glasgow Unison ballots thousands of workers for mass strike over equal pay

Chris Sermanni, Glasgow City Unison (personal capacity)

Unison Glasgow City Branch is currently balloting 4,000 of its members for strike action after losing all confidence in Glasgow Council to settle equal pay claims across the city.

In January of this year, the SNP administration made a commitment to settle years of pay inequality in the city by negotiating an agreeable settlement with the claimant’s side. Thousands of low paid women have been robbed of their hard earned wages for years and are due significant cash settlements; therefore the announcement was welcomed.

The issue of equal pay was a prominent one in the SNP campaign manifesto of 2017, and had vowed to address the issue if elected. It is likely that the SNP won support amongst the working class in Glasgow by promising to rectify the mistakes of previous Labour administrations. As always, actions speak louder than words, and the council have been short on action.

Whilst the commitment was made to address the issue in January 2018, the council did not appear to see this as an urgent issue nor was there any sort of timetable for settlement.

They agreed to meet fortnightly with the claimant’s side, but with no genuine attempt at negotiation the trade unions decided to consider an industrial strategy to move proceedings forward.

A consultative ballot for strike action confirmed that workers were tired of waiting and were prepared to take to the streets to force the council into action. The council agreed to key trade union demands in order to halt industrial action.

Firstly, a time frame for individual claimants receiving compensatory payments.

Secondly, conceding that the current job evaluation scheme is dead and a new equality proofed scheme are implemented in its place.

Finally, that appropriate funding is put in place for this new pay and grading system. It was hoped that this would lead to significant progress and an agreeable resolution

However, this quickly changed and by July the council had reneged on the promises made earlier in the year. They are no longer willing to work with the claimant’s side and are pursuing a route that does not involve negotiated settlement.

This is totally unacceptable and has reignited anger within thousands of workers who continue to be let down by the empty promises of elected politicians within the city.

Meetings on equal pay have been packed with hundreds of claimants irate at the council’s continued obfuscation. No reason or explanation has been given for the change in strategy.

The joint trade unions have agreed to pursue an industrial strategy to force the administration to settle this long running injustice in a fair and equitable manner.

Socialists and trade unionists will play a key role in ensuring that justice is finally done, and that Glasgow’s workers are paid correctly for the work they do.