More than 1,500 Job Centre security guards across the country, including in Margate, begin a fourth week long strike today [Monday, (July 29] in a pay dispute.
The guards – employed by private outsourcing giant G4S – will walk out until Saturday 3 August.
The GMB Union says workers do a difficult, dangerous job and 90 per cent of them are paid just the minimum wage.
With G4S insisting on unpaid training at home, GMB believes the company is in breach of National Minimum Wage laws and the Modern Slavery Act – and has submitted a collective grievance to that effect. [2]
Eamon O’Hearn, GMB National Officer, said: “Not content with paying hard working security guards just the minimum wage, G4S is pressuring them to do unpaid training in their own time.
“GMB believes this constitutes a breach of National Minimum Wage laws and the Modern Slavery Act.
“G4S gets millions in taxpayer cash to run the job centre security contract for DWP.
“Instead of forking out for expensive agency staff and lining director and shareholder pockets, that money should be used to make sure these workers can live.”
