Dancers and staff at Glasgow lap dancing venue Seventh Heaven will now be able to bargain collectively over their terms and conditions at work following the signing of a recognition agreement between their employer and union, GMB Scotland.
The agreement formalises the presence of a recognised trade union within the industry for the first time in Scotland and will cover all aspects of the employment contract, including annual pay negotiations, disciplinary and grievance procedures and health and safety at work.
It also comes at a time when Glasgow City Council has launched a public consultation over the future licensing regulations of the city’s lap dancing venues.
Commenting on the signing of he agreement, Rhea Wolfson, GMB Scotland Organiser, said, “Workers should always have a voice over decisions that affect their livelihoods; dancers and staff in our lap dancing venues should be no different which is why we are delighted to get this agreement signed.
“This is bread and butter trade unionism and if people look beyond the intrigue they’ll see this agreement gives our members a framework to collectively bargain over their terms and conditions of employment – the same is it would in any other workplace.
“It is also important as we head into a consultation period concerning the licensing of Glasgow’s lap dancing venues that workers in the sector have a banner under which they can organise with confidence and make their voices heard over the future of their livelihoods.
“This agreement is good news for employees at Seventh Heaven and good news for our campaign to improve standards across the wider adult entertainment sector in Glasgow.”
Drinks manufacturing giant Diageo could be hit by strikes in the run up to Christmas after GMB Scotland members voted strongly for industrial action today over cuts to their pensions.
Workers in Diageo’s Scottish operations, including bottling plants at Leven and Shieldhall in Glasgow, and distilleries across the country, voted for strike action by a majority of 63% and action short of strikes by a majority of 69.7% after a two-week ballot.
The union says that despite “significant growth” – the company recently increased its operating profits to £2,841 million – Diageo is targeting savings of £30 million a year from its workers’ pensions by closing its final salary scheme and also its lifestyle plan to new entrants.
GMB Scotland Organiser, Louise Gilmour, said, “Our members have sent a strong message to Diageo that the company needs to think again if it wants to avoid damaging strikes across Scotland.
“Diageo is happy to significantly increase executive pay in the wake of billions of pounds of profit but they won’t protect the pensions of the workforce who have contributed massively towards the success of the business.
“It’s another example of the obscene disparity between executive pay and the ordinary worker and if there is one company that can most certainly afford to sustain decent pension arrangements for its workers then it’s Diageo.
“It’s a question of fairness and Diageo can clearly go further to protect the pensions of their workers.”
Diageo runs 29 distilleries across Scotland and two bottling plants at Leven in Fife and Shieldhall, Glasgow.
A statement issued by Diageo said, “This is clearly disappointing and the company feels premature whilst we were in ongoing discussions.
“The company and employees are in a consultative process and have not yet moved into consultation on the alternative proposal. It is also far from the positive industrial relations of past decades that the company has had with its employees and which has helped build the reputation our supply business has today.
“If and when strike action is taken the company will focus on ensuring that our business continues as usual as far as possible. Strong plans are in place for this while we seek to move back into dialogue on the DPS.
“Management at Diageo remain committed to finding a sustainable solution on pensions that helps to manage the long-term needs of employees in a competitive pension with the growing risk and cost to the company of the DPS scheme. As such the company will seek to move back into discussions with unions and ACAS.”