Security guards strike after being paid less than minimum wage

Security guards have been striking in Bury after enduring threats and abuse for often less than minimum wage.

Members of the GMB union gathered at the job centre on Silver Street this week to join action alongside their colleagues across the country.

They are upset with the level of pay they are receiving whilst working in potentially dangerous conditions.

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Union rep Asim Pervez said: “We’re security guards here at the job centre so when I started around 10 years ago, I was on around £2 more than the national minimum wage.

“The Conservative government came in and they started all these austerity measures, and they froze the civil servants' pay rise.

“Slowly we caught up with the national minimum wage but in the last couple of years they’ve been giving others a pay rise but not us.”

Describing the work he and his colleagues do, Mr Pervez said that they are the first point of contact for anyone who walks into the Job Centre.

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If a customer gets angry or violent they have to step in and remove them from the building.

Negotiations with the union have been going on for two years however, strike action only started last month.

Mr Pervez said: “The union has been negotiating for two years to come to some sort of understanding but they won’t agree to any offers.

“We will be continuing to strike and for the moment we are doing one week on one week off.

“All we’re asking for is to reinstate what we were previously getting; we’re not asking for extra just what we deserve.”

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A G4S spokesperson said: “Our dedicated security colleagues do a great job, sometimes in difficult circumstances.

“We urge the GMB to present our offer to our employees, which is both above minimum wage and inflation.

“We are keen to bring this dispute to an amicable conclusion.

“Our contingency plans, agreed in partnership with DWP have proved highly effective in maintaining a full service, and we continue to adapt them to ensure the safety of DWP locations, employees and the service users.”