Victory for Glasgow care workers
by John Lawson
On
Friday 10 August 2007, Glasgow City Council caved in and acceded to the demands
of Glasgow’s Social Care Workers, following three weeks of solid and
determined strike action.
Social care workers (SCWs) are to be upgraded from a grade 4 to grade 5,
better reflecting their expertise and the nature of the work they do.
The opportunity for continuous professional development must also be reintroduced.
This was not just a dispute about wages, but also about the recognition of
their professionalism - an issue which echoes the struggle of the nursery
nurses in 2004, another group of workers who were undermined and undervalued
despite the crucial work they undertook.
The Council had cynically used the Equal Pay Review to grade all SCWs at
role profile (grade) 4.
The workers requested that the council upgrade them to role profile 5, but
it refused, prompting a (reluctant) work-to-rule, as per their grade 4 job
description.
When the council responded by threatening the workers with suspension and
dismissal, the SCWs were left with no option but to strike, all-out.
The council’s conceding is a victory for a predominantly female workforce
of 600 who pretty much carry out the same tasks and duties as the 400 social
workers in the Social Services Department.
One of the strikers at the Quadrangle Maryhill, who have been solidly on
the picket line for three weeks garnering support and donations from the
public, passing motorists and other workers in the Social Work Department,
commented:
“
We have got what we asked for, and the vast majority of the social care staff
will now be upgraded to grade role profile 5, which is the appropriate grade
for the work we do.
“
The only workers who not benefit immediately will be those who have just
started working for the department.
“
However, all social care workers will benefit from the opportunity of continuous
professional development, and this will allow all SCWs to move up the ladder.”
Another said:
“
It will be good to be going back to work, which is where we should be, and
would have been if the council had not expected the SCW on grade 4 to be
doing the same work as a social worker on £34,000 a year.”
Said another:
“
This is a tremendous victory, GCC SCWs are now the highest paid in Scotland.
This will set a precedent, and be an inspiration for other SCWs throughout
Scotland.”
During the dispute, strikers were heartened that many delivery drivers showed
solidarity by not crossing the picket lines, including some from private
companies such as DHL.
The CWU posties - themselves in dispute - also refused to cross the picket
lines, and built up a comradely rapport with SCW strikers.
Members of the Maryhill SSP branch attended the Quadrangle picket lines,
daily, and assisted the Saturday collections in Glasgow city centre every
week.
A striker spoke at the Maryhill branch, as did a CWU striker.
On marching triumphantly back to work together on Monday 13 August, SCWs
stated: “We would like to thank the public for all their support, thank
our colleagues in Glasgow City Council, and the SSP.”
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