More than 1,500 Job Centre security guards begin a week long strike today [Monday] in a pay dispute.
The workers are employed by G4S, on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions – but G4S are refusing to meet GMB without setting preconditions.
The guards will walk out from Monday 12 August - 18 August across the UK [See note 1 for list of prominent pickets across the UK]
Some 90 per cent of the workers are paid just the minimum wage.
Andy Prendergast, GMB National Secretary, said:
“Job centre security guards do a difficult, often dangerous job. The least they deserve is decent pay.
“And G4S cannot keep hiding from their workforce. We’re ready to talk anytime to resolve this dispute.
“It should not take weeks upon weeks of action for an employer to engage with the workers’ union. The power to stop this dispute is in G4S’s hands.
“G4S gets millions in taxpayer cash to run the job centre security contract for DWP. This money shouldn’t be used to line shareholder pockets while staff struggle to get by.”
