Unison members strike in bid to have pay increase for shift work to reflect what other employees receive
THE OPERATORS of Community Safety Glasgow’s (CSG) CCTV cameras held a demonstration today outside of Glasgow City Chambers in a bid to have their employer increase hourly pay rates for shift work.
The workers, members of Unison, are paid PS8.25 per hour for 12-hour shifts, providing 24/7 coverage, but there is no extra compensation afforded to them despite it being offered to other employees working similar shift patterns within CSG.
Some staff within CSG receive an annual payment to compensate them for 12-hour shifts, but so far they have offered CCTV staff less than a third of this.
Jim Main, officer of the Unison Glasgow branch said: “Our members have patiently waited for years, Community Safety Glasgow promised to sort this out. All the trade unions were given an implementation date for a new and fair payment system of April 2015.”
He added: “It is simply unreasonable to expect them to accept this any longer. Unison members have told us it feels like daylight robbery while on a nightshift in Community Safety Glasgow.”
This is the second 48-hour strike the 19 CCTV workers have taken this month and Brian Smith, secretary of the Unison Glasgow branch, wants the council to get back around the table.
He said: “We want them to meet our members’ claim and to treat them equally with other council workers. If they do that, our workers will be back at their job and providing the safety services in the city.”
A spokesman for Community Safety Glasgow said: “Public safety is paramount and we have business continuity plans in place to enable us to continue to monitor the city’s CCTV network.”
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Picture courtesy of Neil Dallimore