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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/23/glasgow-strike-schools-and-nurseries-to-shut-down
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| Glasgow strike: schools and nurseries shut down in equal pay walkout | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of schools and nurseries will be shut and home care services affected as Glasgow city council workers walk out in a row over equal pay claims in what is believed to be the biggest strike of its kind. | Hundreds of schools and nurseries will be shut and home care services affected as Glasgow city council workers walk out in a row over equal pay claims in what is believed to be the biggest strike of its kind. |
| More than 8,000 members of the GMB and Unison unions will participate in two days of industrial action, starting at 7am on Tuesday, over what they see as a lack of progress on equal pay claims. | More than 8,000 members of the GMB and Unison unions will participate in two days of industrial action, starting at 7am on Tuesday, over what they see as a lack of progress on equal pay claims. |
| Thousands of female workers are proceeding with equal pay claims against the council following a court of session ruling last year, as campaigners say workers employed by the council in female-dominated roles such as cleaning and catering have been paid up to £3 an hour less than those in male-dominated jobs like waste collection. | |
| GMB Scotland organiser Rhea Wolfson said members would bring the city to a “standstill” to progress negotiations. | GMB Scotland organiser Rhea Wolfson said members would bring the city to a “standstill” to progress negotiations. |
| Glasgow council said all early years establishments, additional support for learning (ASL) schools and mainstream primary schools would close on both days, though all mainstream secondary schools would remain open. Home care services for around 6,000 people will also be affected by the industrial action. | Glasgow council said all early years establishments, additional support for learning (ASL) schools and mainstream primary schools would close on both days, though all mainstream secondary schools would remain open. Home care services for around 6,000 people will also be affected by the industrial action. |
| Unions said they feared action could be taken against bin collection and street cleaning workers if they refused to cross picket lines. | Unions said they feared action could be taken against bin collection and street cleaning workers if they refused to cross picket lines. |
| The local authority said it had been exploring all options to avert the strike. | The local authority said it had been exploring all options to avert the strike. |
| A Glasgow council spokeswoman said: “We understand why many of our workforce are angry about equal pay and we are also very aware of the depth of feeling there is behind this industrial action. | A Glasgow council spokeswoman said: “We understand why many of our workforce are angry about equal pay and we are also very aware of the depth of feeling there is behind this industrial action. |
| “However the council is already committed to delivering equal pay and reaching a negotiated settlement on claims. There is nothing that the strike can achieve that we are not already doing and we are anxious to see everyone back around the table in good faith to move things forward. | “However the council is already committed to delivering equal pay and reaching a negotiated settlement on claims. There is nothing that the strike can achieve that we are not already doing and we are anxious to see everyone back around the table in good faith to move things forward. |
| “At the same time, the way union leaders have approached the strike has been hugely disappointing. We believed we had an agreement on providing life and limb cover for our most vulnerable citizens – indeed, the unions told the public that cover would be in place. | “At the same time, the way union leaders have approached the strike has been hugely disappointing. We believed we had an agreement on providing life and limb cover for our most vulnerable citizens – indeed, the unions told the public that cover would be in place. |
| “It won’t. There has been absolutely no meaningful effort from the unions to work with us and their membership to ensure that life and limb cover will be in place.” | “It won’t. There has been absolutely no meaningful effort from the unions to work with us and their membership to ensure that life and limb cover will be in place.” |
| Glasgow council has sent letters to those affected informing them their care will be withdrawn for two days during the strike. | Glasgow council has sent letters to those affected informing them their care will be withdrawn for two days during the strike. |
| The spokeswoman added: “Rather than the reduced service we expected to be able to deliver with support from the trade unions; for many more people, there will now be no service at all. | The spokeswoman added: “Rather than the reduced service we expected to be able to deliver with support from the trade unions; for many more people, there will now be no service at all. |
| “We are deeply concerned about the impact, but we have absolutely no alternative.” | “We are deeply concerned about the impact, but we have absolutely no alternative.” |
| The GMB union said unions had agreed to all council requests to support the life and limb cover plan, adding the offer from union members to work through the strike to support vulnerable home care users still stands. | The GMB union said unions had agreed to all council requests to support the life and limb cover plan, adding the offer from union members to work through the strike to support vulnerable home care users still stands. |
| Wolfson said: “The council’s officers have been incapable of putting in place the most basic cover despite having three weeks to prepare and the offers we have made every single day to resolve the dispute. | Wolfson said: “The council’s officers have been incapable of putting in place the most basic cover despite having three weeks to prepare and the offers we have made every single day to resolve the dispute. |
| “Our members work for some of the most vulnerable elderly and disabled people in our community and we would never do anything that could cause them harm.” | “Our members work for some of the most vulnerable elderly and disabled people in our community and we would never do anything that could cause them harm.” |
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