Outsourcing firm G4S has broken minimum wage and modern slavery laws over the way it has treated Job Centre security guards
Workers have this week formally submitted a collective grievance over underpayment of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and breaches of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Job Centre security guards are now in their third month of strike action over pay deals which have seen 90 per cent of them paid just the NMW.
But they are required to carry out online training for their role - and a GMB survey shows 96 per cent them said they were not paid for the training, bringing their pay below the legal minimum.
Meanwhile, 91 per cent completed the training at home and 62 per cent said they felt pressured to do so.
If the guards do not complete their training, G4S threatens disciplinary action or withholds shifts.
The Modern Slavery act 2015 states it is illegal to pressure an individual to perform forced or compulsory labour - it is on this basis GMB union believes G4S is in breach of the act.
More than 1,500 job centres security guards will go on strike again next week, from 29 July - 5 August [see notes for list of pickets]
Rachael Baylis, GMB Organiser, said:
“G4S is an enormously wealthy and established company – they should be fully aware that their workers are carrying out this training unpaid and being pressured to do so.
“It’s G4S’s responsibility to ensure staff have adequate time in working hours to carry out training and if not, to reimburse them for their time.
“Job Centre security guards are professionals who put themselves at significant risk to protect the staff and the public.
“It’s time G4S ends exploitative practices and pays GMB members fairly for the work they do.
“This is a perfect opportunity for the new Labour Government to show how its New Deal commitments will benefit workers and ensure contractors who receive public funding are held to account for their employment practices.”
