DEMONSTRATORS marched from Buchanan Street to George Square on Friday as part of their campaign to ensure frontline workers are awarded a pay rise.

Glasgow City Council staff including home carers and cleansing workers held a socially distanced demonstration this afternoon (August 7), ramping-up calls for the Scottish Government and COSLA to recognise the sacrifices of low-paid frontline workers by bringing forward a coronavirus bonus payment.

GMB Scotland members are campaigning for a £2 an hour additional payment for every hour worked during the lockdown.

READ MORE: Pay up for key workers

The latest protest took place as fears grow among exhausted frontline staff over a possible second spike of Covid-19 infections, following the partial lockdown measures in Aberdeen.

Francis Stojilkovic of the GMB and homecare coordinator, said: “Our workers have been risking their lives, every day, every night. We want to tell them they are worth more.

“Last Friday we handed in a petition with 8000 signatures to the Scottish Government. We have good feedback from councillors and MPs.

“This city couldn’t run without our services and this pandemic is not away. We are still out there risking our lives. Our carers have seen more death in the past few months than in the last year. They are like family to you.

“We also don’t know what we are bringing back home with us every day and we don’t know what we are going into, if we get a second wave goodness knows what will happen.

“We are not going away.”

READ MORE: Key workers to protest in fight for COVID-19 payment

GMB Glasgow Convenor and refuse collector Chris Mitchell added that frontline workers have acted on their civic duty willingly to serve the needs of their communities during lockdown.

He said: “This is now our third demonstration. We submitted a petition to the Scottish Government last Friday. We have been asked to do our civic duty in Glasgow and right through Scotland.

“We are representing local communities right through Scotland as we have been told we are essential workers. The council has said that communities can’t survive without us.

“In recognition I think we deserve that extra £2 an hour. We have risked our lives through this pandemic but not just our lives and our family’s lives.

“Our colleagues have unfortunately lost their lives and they are the real heroes of this. We are calling on the Scottish Government and Cosla to do the right thing.

“The carers are looking out for people’s health and wellbeing and we the cleansing staff have been focusing on sanitation. Do the right thing an pay the £2 an hour.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Local Government pay awards in Scotland are the subject of collective bargaining at a national level – and that is, clearly, the appropriate forum to discuss demands such as these.

“Individual councils are also facing very significant budget gaps as a result of the coronavirus emergency and would not be able to afford millions of pounds in additional costs while maintaining services.”