The Scottish Socialist Party has sent its solidarity to workers poised to take strike action in the Glasgow equal pay dispute.
Workers are to strike on 29 and 30 March 2022 – and again in April if the SNP-controlled City Council continues to obstruct equal pay justice.
Scottish Socialist Party Workplace Organiser Richie Venton said:
“After phenomenal majorities for strike action – 98% in the GMB union, 96% in UNISON – Glasgow City Council workers are poised to strike for equal pay justice on 29th and 30th March – and again in April if the SNP controlled Council don’t cough up.
“The Scottish Socialist Party is 100% in solidarity with these workers, overwhelmingly women, who have suffered about £3-an-hour less in pay than they should.
“For 10 years their struggle for equality was blocked by the ruling Labour council, who even used the Courts to try and deny them equality.
“Now the ruling SNP has broken 2017 election pledges, dragged their feet, only conceded part-compensation for the years up to 2018 after the massive Equal Pay strikes forced them to, and are now trying divide and conquer tactics to deny women the payments they are entitled to, for still working for unequal pay, every hour and every day since 2018.
“The SSP has already been standing shoulder to shoulder with these workers, and will step up our efforts, as they will no doubt face a deluge of false propaganda from the Council.
“We say: demand the funds off the Scottish government to implement equal pay without delay!”
Despite pledging to make this a priority in their 2017 election manifesto, the SNP-controlled council has delayed the pay grading review until at least 2024; has reneged on interim payments for the years since 2018, and is trying to exclude thousands of workers from equal pay entitlements.
Over 14,000 workers – overwhelmingly women – face outrageous robbery of their wages as Glasgow City Council refuses to implement equal pay commitments, and to compensate those who have faced decades of pay inequality.
The Scottish Socialist Party, and all candidates in the 2022 local authority elections, fully support workers in the fight for equal pay justice.