Security guards at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in East Kilbride have voted for another five weeks of industrial action.

G4S members working as security officers at the FCDO building at Abercrombie House have already taken an extended period of strike action in their dispute over pay, terms and conditions.

The new strike dates will run from January 24 to February 28.

A spokesperson for the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said: “PCS met with FCDO management last week and we have another meeting scheduled, which we hope will be positive, but until the dispute is settled the strike action will continue.

“So far G4S has failed to make a pay offer that lifts members out of poverty pay and delivers any significant improvements to terms and conditions.”

This action runs in tandem with industrial action being taken by PCS members employed by OCS as cleaners and caterers at Abercrombie House.

Strikes in this dispute are continuing every weekday where picket lines will be held at Abercrombie House on Eaglesham Road from January 22 to February 28.

PCS say the latest action announced for both OCS and G4S comes because of a failure by both companies to engage in meaningful dispute resolution negotiations.

They claim neither company are engaging in any negotiations with PCS and neither company have acted to table pay offers that meet the reasonable demands for a pay increase, the introduction of company sick pay, an increase in annual leave and improvements to key terms and conditions.

Both contracts are managed by the Government Property Agency who they say are also failing to engage with PCS.

PCS union general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Our G4S members are striking alongside their OCS colleagues as they are no longer prepared to be treated like second class citizens in government buildings.

“They deliver vital services yet are forced onto the Real Living Wage, receive no company sick pay and receive the statutory minimum annual leave entitlement.

“The GPA, the FCDO and the ministers have a role to play in delivering a settlement to these disputes and until they intervene PCS will continue to escalate the disputes.”

G4S and OCS were contacted for comment.

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