Greta Thunberg confirms she will march at Glasgow climate protest

Swedish activist calls on striking council workers in the city to join protest during COP26 climate change conference.

Greta Thunberg confirms she will march at Glasgow climate protest Getty Images

Greta Thunberg has confirmed she will visit Glasgow during the COP26 climate change conference.

The Swedish activist tweeted on Monday night that she will join a climate strike taking place in the city on Friday, November 5.

She also voiced her support for striking council workers in Glasgow and urged them to join the protest, which will see people marching from Kelvingrove Park to George Square.

She said: “On Friday Nov 5 I’ll join the climate strike in Glasgow during #COP26. Climate justice also means social justice and that we leave no one behind.

“So we invite everyone, especially the workers striking in Glasgow, to join us. See you there!”

Preparations are intensifying as Glasgow prepares to welcome up to 30,000 people for the conference.

More than 120 world leaders will attend the UN event, which takes place at the Scottish Event Campus from October 31 to November 12.

Road users are being warned to expect disruption as many routes around the venue will be closed for up to three weeks, with diversions in place.

Ahead of the key climate talks, UN scientists warned levels of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached record highs again last year.

And the conference comes as council workers in more than half of Scotland’s local authorities are set to take strike action as part of a row over pay.

Trade unions representing staff have now notified local government body COSLA that they will take industrial action over the period November 8 to 12.

The strike comes during COP26, with the Glasgow area one of those that will be hit by the action.

Refuse and recycling workers will be out on strike, along with school cleaners, janitors and catering staff.

The Scottish Government is now being urged to intervene in a bid to resolve the dispute – with the unions warning they could escalate their action if councillors fail to increase their pay offer.

Councils are offering local government workers earning below £25,000 a year an £850 increase in wages, with smaller rises for those earning more.

This would see staff earning between £25,000 and £40,000 getting a 2% rise and those on £40,000 to £80,000 getting 1%, while those earning more than that would get an extra £800 a year.

However, the unions insist all workers should get a rise of either 6% or £2000, whichever is greater.

Rail workers in the RMT union are also set to strike throughout the two-week conference.

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