PCS union members employed as caterers and cleaners at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in East Kilbride are set to take a further six days of strike action this month in their dispute over pay.
The industrial action, which follows seven days of action, will see members employed by the OCS walk out on October 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 and 24 in an escalation to their dispute.
There will be picket lines held on all dates between 7.30am and 10am at Abercrombie House on Eaglesham Road.
Both days of action last week were well supported, and Dave Moxham, deputy president of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) attended the picket line on Thursday, October 3.
Despite the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union confirming a willingness to engage in dispute resolution negotiations no proposal has been received from OCS for negotiations to start.
The PCS say that instead of focusing efforts on resolving the dispute they continue to deploy cover, including managers on inflated salaries to provide minimum service. The union maintains the cost of travel, subsistence and hotel accommodation would be better spent being allocated to resolve the dispute.
A PCS member taking strike action said: “Three generations of my family have worked in Abercrombie House over the course of a 20-year period. That’s 20 years that our family has dedicated to serving the government workers within this building. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request to ask for a better rate of pay and fair terms and conditions.”
The union say that no resolution to the dispute will be found if OCS continues to fail to engage in “meaningful negotiations” with PCS.
A spokesman said: “In the absence of such a commitment from OCS we will continue to escalate the action maximising disruption to services. It is now in OCS’ best interests to meet with PCS to avoid further action.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office previously told us that these staff members are employed by an external contractor and are not directly employed by the government.
The FCDO added that external contracts referenced are owned by the Government Property Agency “who encourage contractors and the union to cooperate” to resolve the dispute.
The OCS were contacted for comment.
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