Cleaners and janitors call off school strike after pay offer

Planned strike action by cleaners and janitors in Glasgow secondary schools has been suspended following a fresh pay offer.

GMB Scotland members in 30 secondary schools in the city had planned to walk out on Tuesday.

However, employer AMEY tabled an improved offer on pay and conditions, with a full workplace consultative ballot of GMB members now underway.

The offer proposes changes to pay and conditions for staff employed by the PFI contractor that would be comparable to those made by COSLA for directly employed council workers, lifting pay by over 6 per cent for cleaners, 4 per cent for janitors, and backdated to April 1, 2021.

GMB has recommended acceptance of the offer, whilst further strikes scheduled for Thursday and Saturday could also be lifted if staff vote to accept.

GMB Organiser John Slaven 🗣 “AMEY staff are no longer the forgotten workers of Glasgow’s education system. You are serving notice on chronic low pay and exploitation. You are fighting for pay justice.” pic.twitter.com/VkT7p7DEtQ
— GMB Scotland (@GMBScotOrg) December 3, 2021

GMB organiser John Slaven said: “Cleaners and janitors in Glasgow’s secondary schools have fought hard to get AMEY to match the pay and conditions of staff directly employed by the City Council, and our members will now decide if they have won this battle.

“Our message has been clear and consistent: Pay up for these key workers.

“All school support staff should be valued the same for the essential services they provide, irrespective if they are employed by a council or a council contractor.

“That’s why AMEY’s new offer merits suspension of the strike scheduled for Tuesday, so staff can be fully consulted and subject to ballot, and this process will run until Wednesday when the result will also be confirmed.”