Thompsons Solicitors has been working with colleagues in UNISON to defend the right of members working on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to participate in legitimate protest against the City Council.
To recognise the extra work, changes in shift patterns and loss of leave that many Glasgow Council employees have had to deal with as a result of the Games, some council workers were offered enhanced payments.
However, many low paid UNISON members working on the Games in a range of roles sought the right to demonstrate against the Council’s failure to financially recognise their contribution. In response, the City Council applied for a court injunction to prevent their demonstrating.
Workers’ right to demonstrate upheld
Thompsons, working with UNISON, successfully fought the injunction and established that members were acting within the law, and upheld their right to demonstrate.
Richard Arthur, from Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Freedom of speech is a basic human right and securing that for Glasgow City Council workers showed Scotland in the best light as the Games did. Glasgow Life and the City Council didn't need to escalate this issue to the court room.”
A matter of principle
Suzanne Craig, UNISON’s legal officer, said: “UNISON felt that this case was a matter of principle. It was important that we successfully defended the legitimate right to protest. But just to be clear it was never a legal battle we wanted. We have said from the beginning that Glasgow Life should sit down with us to find a solution.
“These were low paid staff earning around £16,000 – £18,000 per year, working hard to ensure the Commonwealth Games were a success. But contrary to other workers in the city – like transport workers and local government workers - they were not offered any enhanced payments in recognition of the fact that they had shift patterns forced on them without agreement and annual leave curtailed during the school holidays.”