At the time of writing, Glasgow City Council daycare strikers are about to begin their eighth week on strike. All the signs are that they will still be on strike over Christmas and the New Year.
The indefinite strike action is in response to the City Council’s implementation of “Single Status”, which is meant to end sexually discriminatory rates of pay in local authorities.
But here “equality” is being financed by levelling downwards rather than upwards. Under the proposed regrading of the careworkers’ jobs, workers stand to lose up to £3,000 a year and managers stand to lose up to £6,000 a year.
At the same time, the Council has proposed a major re-organisation of daycentre care, which, if implemented, would result in major job losses and the closure of half the daycentres in Glasgow.
The daycare strikers — who provide assistance to people with learning and physical difficulties, and also to their families and carers — have continued their high profile campaigning to achieve their demands for no pay cuts and proper regrading.
Weekly meetings for the carers of the strikers’ client group have been taking place, in order to clarify the reasons for the strike and where the blame for it lies.
• Send donations to: UNISON, 18 Albion Street, Glasgow G1.
