Glasgow subway workers are set to strike - starting on the day Rangers take on Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
Almost all Unite members (99 per cent) voted in favour of the walk-out over being called in to work shifts at short notice amid rota issues. Each day of strike action will last 24 hours.
And day one is Saturday, August 6 - Rangers' first home game of the season. The other three dates are Tuesday, August 9, Saturday, August 13 and Saturday, August 27.
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August 13 is the penultimate day of Piping Live in the city centre while I Am A Raver is on at Classic Grand, just up from St Enoch station. Meanwhile those planning on heading to Ando-Glaso Roma Cultural Festival in Sauchiehall Street or Refuweegee's We Belong to Glasgow event at Oran Mor by subway on August 27 may need to make alternative arrangements.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) have enforced changes to duty schedules, sparking anger among workers who say it's been 'detrimental to work-life balance'. Discussions with SPT have 'failed to give members assurances over family responsibilities' according to Unite.
The union represents over 200 members at SPT including train drivers and station staff, 83 per cent of them turned up for the ballot. Willie Thomson, Unite's industrial officer, said the walk-out is a 'last resort'.
He told Glasgow Live: “The strike ballot is a last resort for a hardworking and loyal workforce. Time and again the workers have gone above and beyond by keeping the subway running during the Covid-19 pandemic, and through a time of significant staff pressures.
"Our members are angry about the unfair duty rosters which have resulted in imposed shift changes at short notice. This is detrimental to our members’ work life balance.
"SPT should be in no doubt as to our members’ determination to have these rosters changed.”
Director of Subway Antony Smith said:“It is disappointing that this is the course of action Unite members have decided on. Over the last few months, we have had a number of constructive meetings and open sessions with all Subway operations staff to hear their concerns and grievances.
"We only ever re-roster staff at short notice for emergencies in order to keep the system running. We have not needed to re-roster staff since the last football match of last season, nor did we during the last three big events in the city.
"We have no plans to do so for the August matches and this has been made clear to staff. We remain committed to continuing that dialogue and to finding better ways to work together to deal with issues as they arise.”
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