Private officers guarding Britainâ„¢s eavesdropping agency, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), are considering a strike action over a pay dispute.
The development comes after the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said their talks with private security firm G4S, which is responsible for protection of the spy agency, have failed.
The situation could leave the spy agencyâ„¢s building in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in a security crisis and could force the government to deploy the army to guard the site.
PCS secretary general Mark Serwotka said G4S has tabled a pay offer below the inflation for the workers who get a meager £15,000 to £21,000 annual salary.
Å“These staff work hard, doing a difficult job at a high-profile site … we’ve been very reasonable but the ball is now squarely in G4S’s court if it wants to avert what could turn out to be a damaging and embarrassing dispute,” Serwotka said.
The unionâ„¢s warning of an industrial action comes as it held an informal strike vote in April in which 97 percent rejected G4Sâ„¢s 1.75 percent pay rise for this year.
A GCHQ spokesman said they have Å“contingency arrangements” in place to prevent a security problem at the site if an industrial action is staged.
However, G4S has pledged to continue to provide adequate guards at GCHQ even in case of a strike.
G4S has a poor record on providing services to its customers including during the 2012 London Olympics when the army had to step in after the firm failed to provide enough private security guards for the games.
AMR/HE
Republished from: Press TV