GLASGOW City Council is facing a workers’ walkout over a grading dispute, just days after being voted the best local authority in Britain,
From today, some 70 workers in the council’s homeless service will strike indefinitely in a dispute over their pay grade.
The strikers were due to protest outside the social work headquarters at 40 John Street in the city today at 12 noon.
The workers are all members of the trade union Unison which claims 90 per cent membership in that part of the social work service.
On a 64 per cent turnout of those eligible to vote, some 84 per cent voted to take all out, indefinite strike action
The dispute is over the application of the council’s job evaluation scheme to the role of homelessness caseworkers.
The workers are on pay grade 5 (£21,000 to £24,500). Unison says that others doing a similar job are on pay grade 6 (£25,500 to £30,000).
Ian Leech, Unison Glasgow social work convenor, said: “These workers have been unfairly treated for years in that their jobs should have been graded the same as other frontline staff in addiction services or older people’s teams.
“They have been very patient and hoped that the matter would be addressed by the council.
“Our members care about the people who rely on the service which they provide, however, they have been left with no other option. All they are looking for is to be treated the same as the other 400 social care staff.”
The workers assess the needs of homeless people and families organise support and help people to access and maintain emergency, temporary and permanent accommodation.
The 70 workers have nearly 3,000 people on their caseloads, and three out of four strikers are women.
Glasgow City Council’s spokesman said: “Casework staff are graded at an appropriate level as they work to arrange accommodation for individuals while detailed care assessments are undertaken by other social work staff.
“A contingency plan has been put in place and any disruption to this service for vulnerable people will be kept to a minimum.”
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