Dear All
Yesterday saw staff at Glasgow museums and leisure facilities across the city go on strike.
The staff now are planning a second strike day on polling day 6th May, the day of the Westminster General Election.
Now, George Black, the Returning Officer at Glasgow City Council is threatening legal action against unions.
But since the people employed no longer work for the Council direct, I suspect his legal threat could be open to challenge.
People are either council workers or they are not.
If they are not, then his action might not have merit.
The 24-hour strike 600 staff out on the street with placards and closed the Kelvingrove Museum, the Burrell Collection and the People’s Palace.
If the planned strike goes ahead on 6th May several venues run by Culture and Sport Glasgow as polling stations might not be opened unless the management do it themselves.
Unions say that the planned strikes would not result in the closure of polling places.
Bectu’s Scottish organiser Paul McManus said;
“Union officials agreed to have a meeting with Mr Black earlier this week, in which he expressed his concerns about polling day. We responded by telling him that in no way do we wish to interfere with people’s right to vote, but, as workers, we are entitled to picket the buildings”.
He added;
“We would absolutely never stop people going into any building to vote, but we will have picket lines at these buildings, as we had during Friday’s action.”
This could generate an anti Labour vote as striking workers will be putting the blame squarely on the Glasgow Labour Party.
Paul McManus went further;
“We also explained to George Black that we put an offer on the table and Culture and Sport bosses rejected it. That has now happened twice and perhaps Mr Black should take the issue up with the Labour councillors who are imposing these cuts.”
So, it looks like Labour Councillors will not be welcome at the polling stations with the Culture and Sport strikers.
Unison, Unite, GMB and Bectu unions have been pushed to the limit by an unreasonable management at Culture and Sport led by Bridget McConnell.
Earlier this month a bollt of members of the four unions returned a 60% “yes” vote to strike.
The nub is that Labour Councillors set up the arms length companies to force down pay and conditions for employees.
The Staff has been informed that overtime payments are being removed and some public holidays are being lost.
200 employees have been told they will be sacked if they do not agree to new contracts that will reduce their earnings by up to £1,500 a year.
That is the reality of the situation.
The Glasgow Labour Party has bled the City of Glasgow dry and the people are losing their jobs, being threatened and suffering pay freezes and pay reductions.
May 6th may see angry picket lines across the city facing Labour Councillors who no doubt will be pointing the finger at the Glasgow Labour Party and telling them who is to blame.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Yesterday saw staff at Glasgow museums and leisure facilities across the city go on strike.
The staff now are planning a second strike day on polling day 6th May, the day of the Westminster General Election.
Now, George Black, the Returning Officer at Glasgow City Council is threatening legal action against unions.
But since the people employed no longer work for the Council direct, I suspect his legal threat could be open to challenge.
People are either council workers or they are not.
If they are not, then his action might not have merit.
The 24-hour strike 600 staff out on the street with placards and closed the Kelvingrove Museum, the Burrell Collection and the People’s Palace.
If the planned strike goes ahead on 6th May several venues run by Culture and Sport Glasgow as polling stations might not be opened unless the management do it themselves.
Unions say that the planned strikes would not result in the closure of polling places.
Bectu’s Scottish organiser Paul McManus said;
“Union officials agreed to have a meeting with Mr Black earlier this week, in which he expressed his concerns about polling day. We responded by telling him that in no way do we wish to interfere with people’s right to vote, but, as workers, we are entitled to picket the buildings”.
He added;
“We would absolutely never stop people going into any building to vote, but we will have picket lines at these buildings, as we had during Friday’s action.”
This could generate an anti Labour vote as striking workers will be putting the blame squarely on the Glasgow Labour Party.
Paul McManus went further;
“We also explained to George Black that we put an offer on the table and Culture and Sport bosses rejected it. That has now happened twice and perhaps Mr Black should take the issue up with the Labour councillors who are imposing these cuts.”
So, it looks like Labour Councillors will not be welcome at the polling stations with the Culture and Sport strikers.
Unison, Unite, GMB and Bectu unions have been pushed to the limit by an unreasonable management at Culture and Sport led by Bridget McConnell.
Earlier this month a bollt of members of the four unions returned a 60% “yes” vote to strike.
The nub is that Labour Councillors set up the arms length companies to force down pay and conditions for employees.
The Staff has been informed that overtime payments are being removed and some public holidays are being lost.
200 employees have been told they will be sacked if they do not agree to new contracts that will reduce their earnings by up to £1,500 a year.
That is the reality of the situation.
The Glasgow Labour Party has bled the City of Glasgow dry and the people are losing their jobs, being threatened and suffering pay freezes and pay reductions.
May 6th may see angry picket lines across the city facing Labour Councillors who no doubt will be pointing the finger at the Glasgow Labour Party and telling them who is to blame.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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