‘Strength in numbers’

A campaign to give a big pay boost to workers employed by social enterprise leisure services’ giant Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) in London and Belfast has been launched by Unite.

Unite is seeking a six per cent increase in basic pay from April 2019 for its hundreds of  members working for GLL in more than 140  leisure centres and libraries in 16 London boroughs, as well as in Belfast.

Unite said the campaign will be the first time that there has been a coordinated pay campaign at GLL, bringing together all the London contracts and Belfast.

“This is the first time that Unite has organised a coordinated campaign that has the pay claims covered by the 16 London borough and Belfast contracts under one umbrella,” said Unite regional officer Onay Kasab.

“We believe that there is strength in numbers as we seek to obtain for our members the above inflation pay boost they deserve,” he added.

“Profitable Greenwich Leisure Limited has a poor reputation as an employer and is always looking to maximise profits at the expense of the dedicated workforce which ensures the smooth running of the leisure centres and libraries on a daily basis.

“So far, GLL has failed to engage with us on this claim. This includes the removal of the appalling contractual condition which means staff losing up to five per cent of their pay at the whim of bosses when they deem there is a mediocre financial period.

“The message is clear – the GLL management needs to engage constructively on this pay claim, otherwise Unite will have no hesitation in proceeding to an industrial action ballot.”

The London boroughs are: Barnet, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Merton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth.

Last year, Unite staged a campaign to make GLL pay the London Living Wage (LLW) to those aged 18-to-20 on a number of its contracts in the capital.