Bryan HayLibrary workers in the London Borough of Greenwich are set to strike for 24 hours on 30 April amid unresolved disputes over pay and the use of zero-hour contracts with their employer, GLL. Over 60 workers are involved in the action, escalating a long-standing disagreement. Despite GLL’s claims of being a London Living Wage (LLW) employer, reports indicate that some employees receive less than the LLW, and the company has delayed implementing a rise to the LLW by almost six months.
Unite, the union representing the workers, has expressed frustration over GLL’s refusal to engage in negotiations. Demonstrations are also planned across the borough to highlight the involvement of three Labour councillors who sit on the board of GLL, pointing out the contradiction in a Labour-run council contracting services to an organisation that employs zero-hour contracts and does not fully recognise trade unions.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, commented on the dispute: “GLL is behaving appallingly, and our members won’t stand for it. There are an excess of injustices that come with zero hours contracts and a so-called social enterprise should be ashamed to use them. Our members are ready to fight for better pay and working conditions and Unite is right behind them.”
Further complicating matters, GLL is described as a staff-led organization, where only permanent employees are granted full ‘society’ status on a representative board, excluding the majority of its workforce, notably the 6,313 staff members on zero-hour contracts, from decision-making processes.
Unite regional officer, Mary Summers, stated: “We are taking action because staff are being treated like second-class citizens when it comes to pay and conditions. Systematic failures to implement rises to the living wage show GLL is a substandard employer that is hiding behind its ‘social enterprise’ status. Unite is standing with our members in tackling this shocking treatment.”
