Continued OCS strike action having an impact

PCS members who are employed by outsourcing company OCS as cleaners and caterers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in East Kilbride are in dispute with their employer over pay, terms and conditions.

They took two days of strike action on September 18 and 19 and have taken three days this week, on 24, 25 and 26 September. If the dispute remains unresolved they will follow this with eight more strike days in October.

This week the striking members held successful and well-organised picket lines on each strike day, despite the bad weather today.

The members are speaking to every car that stops, handing out leaflets and PCS stickers to supporters and colleagues.

Whenever the local train arrives the two 'coffee-trolley' members have been going to the pathway to the building and leafleting every single person. They work with the FCDO staff in the building very closely and know what every colleague drinks, when they drink it and what mug they use!

The police training academy is nearby and the police have stopped to speak to the pickets. Everything has been friendly and well-spirited.

One member on the picket line said: “It's been amazing, my dad was a miner so we knew all about striking but the support we have had from the public and also our colleagues has been brilliant"

Management have shipped staff up from Newcastle, nearly 150 miles away, to cover the cleaning and catering services in the building, at great cost to the company.

In response, one of the striking members said: “We are prepared for the long haul here! They are throwing money away by paying people to travel up to Scotland and cover our work whilst we are on strike - they could be using that money to resolve this dispute and pay us properly in the first place"

G4S provides security services at the same FCDO building and G4S members working for jobcentres are currently in dispute with their employer about similar issues. One G4S member, on his day off, visited the picket line to express his solidarity, saying: “We stand united in the belief that fair compensation and working conditions are essential for everyone. Your courage to voice these important issues inspires us all, and we fully support your efforts to create a better workplace for everyone.”

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