GMB Members G4S Pay Update

Dear GMB Members,

First and foremost, we want to express our gratitude for your ongoing support in these endeavours and recognise the frustration you may be experiencing. We appreciate the significant turnout at our online meeting to discuss the 2022/23 pay negotiations, with many of you posing excellent questions.

Understanding that some members couldn’t participate, we thought it was important to create a Q & A sheet. This aims to provide an overview of the discussed matters and address questions raised by members, ensuring transparency and inclusivity.

• GMB Member G4S Pay Update 28th Feb 2024

  Q:How long before strike day does a non member have to join. Eg can they join the week /day before

  A: Non-members can join up until the day before a strike – however if they join prior to/during balloting, they can then also help to ensure that there is a mandate for strike action.

  Q: This is over December 2022 pay rise. When is the December 2023 pay rise talks. We are gonna get April 2024 government enforced minimum wage rise before any of this. This is a joke

  A: We agree – the Company has delayed the process in order to try and wear members down into accepting a sub-standard offer

  Q: So are non union members not protected if they do not work on the day if any action taken as it say different online.. i have 4 staff who are not members who said they would not work if we strike..

  A: If any non-members encounter any issues during the process, including during any potential strikes, as non-members they will not receive any support from GMB; and as per the reply to Lee, if they don’t join *and vote* before the ballot closes they won’t be able to have a say in the ballot outcome. Also bear in mind non-members will not be eligible for any strike pay if members ultimately take action.

  Q: Do we know if G4S has got the new contract

  A: We’re not aware that the new contract has been awarded.

  Q: if you go for a strike, what about G4S employees no strike policy ?

  A: There is nothing preventing members taking action on pay and other conditions, please see separate bulletin that will be posted on the web board.

  Q: What about back pay if you were made redundant due to a DWP site closing?

  A: There is no legal requirement to honour any backpay to members who are made redundant, however we will attempt to negotiate that in any final agreement.

  Q: What has happened to back pay when is it calculated from and when come

  A: We are seeking back payment to 1^st December 2022, something the Company refused to offer, to date of implementation.

  Q: But in April if the rate is going to 11.44 what rate will we be going for. How many % from 11.44

  A: We expect that over 90% of the contract will be on the new minimum wage from April, and our original claim is for RPI at December 2022, which was 13.4%.

  Q: Why are we only negotiating pay rate. Our holiday allowance is piss poor, not my choice to not work on a bank holiday

  A: That is what was in our original claim, but as described at the meeting, this needs to be the first step in seeking to improve working conditions across the DWP contract and Secure Solutions more widely.

  Q: according with the last discussion we are unskilled workers as we have part of government contract can this to be added as skilled workers

  A: We consider DWP Guards to be skilled professionals, and as such should be treated and paid respectfully.

  Q: Theses a guard here that’s on this for the free ride… he is waiting for the union to fight for his pay so he dont have  have to get his hands dirty or pay the membership 😤

  A: Bear in mind non-members will not be eligible for any strike pay if members ultimately take action.

  Q: Do we get paid when we are on strike

  A: GMB Rule Book provides for payments to members who take action, though more detail, like attending picket lines etc will be distributed following a successful ballot.

  Q: We was told as a small JC that only take about 100+ customers can’t strike, only bigger main JCs can… is that right

  A: No, if our ballot is successful then all members will have the right to strike, regardless of the size of their site.

  Q: What happens if G4s lost the contact and we toupee to another company do we lose the back date pay?????

  A: No any back pay that is Government funded would be payable.

  Q: We should strike like the busses did and get things sorted

  A: We agree, that is why we are going to initiate the legal Industrial Action ballot process.

  Q: How many votes do we need too do to get this sorted I’ve voted for the last 2years nothing has been sorted

  A: The legal Industrial Action Ballot process is a legal one, GMB don’t set the rules, and we have to secure the highest number of votes in favour of striking as possible.

  Q: When the Ballot goes through for strike action, would guards that are not a member are they able to become members and strike, even if just a couple of days before?

  A: Yes, though they will miss the chance to join and actually vote to ensure we have a strong mandate for industrial action.

  Q: Do you think Allied Universal has put pressure on G4s not to do anything?

  A: At the moment G4S does not actually have a ‘problem’ so they are probably happy to sit back and wait until we have balloted.

  Q: Are you dragging this out so that when April comes you’ll throw everything else out of the table

  A: No we have always wanted to resolve this as quickly as possible, which is why we originally wanted to fast-track negotiations at ACAS; and the LNC have always made themselves available to meet for negotiations, it has been the Company who have delayed the process.