The Fight for Fair Pay: Glasgow Airport Workers Vote for Strike Action
Key Highlights :
Workers at Glasgow Airport have voted to take strike action amid a continuing dispute over pay with their employers, the facilities management company OCS. Around 70 members of the union Unite have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, with the first 24-hour strike expected to start at 4am on July 6 and another stoppage to take place on July 11.
The dispute centres around a pay offer which was deemed “poverty pay” by the union. This offer would have taken basic pay to £10.90 per hour, but was rejected by an overwhelming 96%. Unite claims there has been no improved pay offer to date, but OCS has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham expressed her support of the members taking a stand against poverty pay. She said: “The emphatic mandate in support of strike action should send a clear message to OCS - it’s time they put an increased offer on the table in new negotiations. Unite will always stand up for our members fighting for better pay, terms and conditions.”
The OCS Froup employees assist passengers with wheelchairs and use ambulift vehicles for travellers at Glasgow Airport. However, they are not employed by the airport itself. Around 100 Unite members employed by Glasgow Airport will receive a 7 per cent increase on basic salary rates and allowances along with a £1,000 one-off payment. Unite also previously announced around 50 Falck firefighters who perform fire safety functions are set to receive an annual pay increase on average worth £3,262.
Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer, said: “The OCS Group have point blank refused to make our members a reasonable offer or to in fact increase their original offer of £10.90 an hour. Unite has repeatedly asked for meetings with the company to discuss the pay dispute because what’s currently on the table is totally unacceptable to our members.”
The strike action is likely to cause disruption to the summer schedule at Glasgow Airport. A Glasgow Airport spokesman said: “We are speaking with OCS to ensure contingency plans are in place so that those passengers who require additional support are not affected by any proposed industrial action.”
The workers at Glasgow Airport are standing up for their rights and demanding fair pay. It is essential that the OCS Group respond to the union’s request for further negotiations and make a reasonable offer to their employees. This is a fight for fair pay and it is one that must be won.
Title:
The Fight for Fair Pay: Glasgow Airport Workers Vote for Strike Action
