Closure of major Glasgow road which could bring traffic to a standstill edges closer
The road is vital to people commuting through Scotland's busiest city
MOTOR MAYHEM Closure of major Glasgow road which could bring traffic to a standstill edges closer
TRAFFIC could be brought to a standstill on a major Glasgow road due to strike action by control room workers.
Around 65,000 motorists a day travel through the Clyde Tunnel.
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Around 65,000 motorists a day travel through the Clyde Tunnel
Credit: Alamy
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Traffic could be brought to a standstill due to strike action by control room workers
Credit: Alamy
The road is vital to people commuting through Scotland's busiest city.
It links the north and south sides of Glasgow and is near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
But the busy route faces disruption as control room staff have unanimously backed industrial action.
The team of ten are based in the city's Whiteinch and are responsible for monitoring cameras, controlling ventilation and responding to breakdowns and emergencies on the road.
The GMB union, which represents most of the workers, previously rejected a three per cent pay rise from council umbrella body Cosla.
They also called on the Scottish government to provide councils with extra funding.
The union warned that if the workers strike, the tunnel, which connects the north and south of Glasgow, may be forced to close.
Keir Greenaway, senior organiser in public services for GMB Scotland, said the tunnel staff were the first to vote in a strategic campaign of industrial action to secure an improved offer for all council workers.
He encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with Cosla to resolve the dispute.
He said: "Council workers have again been forced to fight for fair pay while watching others in the public sector, NHS Scotland, for example, being made acceptable offers.
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"The everyday lives of millions of Scots rest on the shoulders of local authority staff and they will not be treated as the poor relations in our public services.
"The team at the Clyde Tunnel keep Scotland's biggest city moving, only one example of the essential services delivered by our members.
"Without their expertise and experience, one of the country's most important roads could close with untold disruption."
He added: "The current offer adds pennies to the hourly rate paid to the lowest-paid staff, and it is beyond time for ministers to seriously engage with Cosla and the unions to deliver fair pay."
GMB union is now planning strategic action to get workers a £1 an hour increase or 6.5 per cent.
It comes after a consultative ballot from all of GMB Scotland's council members said 96 per cent of voters backed walkouts if Cosla refuses to improve the three per cent pay offer.
Strike dates have yet to be announced, but it is understood at least two weeks' notice must be given to the council ahead of industrial action.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "We are aware of this ballot result but we have received no formal notification of the intention to take industrial action in relation to the Clyde Tunnel.
"The ballot was held in relation to the national pay negotiations for local authorities, which are managed at a national level through Cosla."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government has no formal role in these negotiations.
"However, we urge all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers."
A spokesperson for Cosla told the BBC the body was disappointed by the move to industrial action, and that there "remains a gap between what local government can fund from its own resources and union aspirations."
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