Glasgow

Care workers stand firm

“This strike is solid and we are staying out for all 600” said Ann of the Gorbals area team. 600 Glasgow Social Care Workers (SCWs) have been on all out strike for over two weeks. The strength, unity and almost 100% support for the strike action by Glasgow SCWs has been an example to workers across the trade union movement.

Ian Leech SCW UNISON steward (Personal capacity)

The strike’s strength has forced important concessions from a hard-nosed employer who has been dragged to the negotiating table by the action.

The council has now offered to place almost half of the 600 SCWs on PCS grading 5 (which would lift the salary by about £3,000 a year on average) and for all SCWs to be regraded on the higher level by 2010 after completing training. This was overwhelmingly rejected by the mass meeting held last week.

These concessions show that we have the council on the back foot. It is vital that all strikers and the branch step up their efforts to ensure that the action continues.

The next week is crucial. A final push must be made to ensure that the second ballot among 1,000 other social work staff is won.

Collections for the strike fund have been magnificent and need to continue. We welcome the decision of the branch to match the strike pay of the national union.

It was a morale booster for the workers. More than £1,000 was donated at a collection at the football on Sunday and more than £700 donated by shoppers at St Enoch’s centre on Saturday. We can win this.