Job Centre security guards are set to launch a fresh strike on Monday in an ongoing dispute over pay. The GMB union has announced that more than 1,500 of its members will stage their fourth week-long walkout, remaining on strike until Saturday.
The union has stated that the guards, who are employed by private firm G4S, undertake a dangerous job, with 90% of them receiving only the minimum wage. The GMB has accused G4S of breaching minimum wage laws by insisting on unpaid training at home, a claim which the company has denied.
GMB national officer Eamon O'Hearn, commented: "Not content with paying hard-working security guards just the minimum wage, G4S is pressuring them to do unpaid training in their own time. GMB believes this constitutes a breach of National Minimum Wage laws and the Modern Slavery Act."
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A spokesperson for G4S responded: "We urge the GMB to present our offer to our employees, which is above minimum wage and inflation. We want to give our staff a pay rise and the GMB is holding this up. Our dedicated security colleagues do a great job and support an essential public service, sometimes in difficult circumstances. The majority of our staff have not been on strike."
G4S has stated that its offer includes a 6.5% pay rise from April 2023, and an average 9.3% rise from December 2023 to April 2024. "This is our best and last offer put to the GMB in April 2024 and the union has refused to put it to a vote by its members," said G4S, adding that it has made 12 pay offers since 2022, with only two put out to ballot, reports the Mirror.
Previous strikes took place in June and earlier this month. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are also participating in industrial action over the same dispute.
The Department for Work and Pensions has previously stated that some Job Centres may have to shut during the strike action, and claimants will be notified of any changes or delays.
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