Glasgow: strikers speak out

“We’ve never been paid right, going back over 12 years. It’s been a constant fight to get our money what we’re entitled to. They’ve been robbing us, basically, on pay and grading.” Those are the words of Glasgow home carer Denise Phillips, explaining why she and 8,000 other city council workers are striking over equal pay tomorrow and Wednesday (23 and 24 October). She and three other UNISON strikers – fellow home care worker Joan Johnson, school cleaning supervisor and caterer Ingrid Bain and care home cleaning supervisor Lyn O’Hara – spoke about the strike, and the issues behind it, with Scottish journalist David Jamieson on his Beyond the Noise podcast. “We have no other option but to take strike action,” added Joan. “We like our jobs caring – and we do care for the people of Glasgow. But enough is enough.” Filling out the picture of what 12 years of unequal pay mean in reality, Ingrid said: “Do you know how much difference a pound an hour could have made to my family’s life? That’s £1,500 a year, a pound an hour, for a part-time worker doing two jobs.” Although there are men who have equal pay claims, the overwhelming majority of those taking action this week are women. And “the sisterhood that’s come out through this strike is unbelievable. Women are standing up. “The lasses in my line of work, cleaning and catering, are finally saying: ‘D’you know what? I’ve done all that work for all these years: I deserve to be paid th...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News equal pay glasgow Industrial action local government low pay Scotland scotland local government Scottish local government women women members Source Type: news