Staff who help police tackle crime are to begin a two-day strike over pay.

CCTV operators who monitor hundreds of cameras across the city are to begin their 48-hour walkout at 7pm today.

Employed by Community Safety Glasgow, an arms' length company of Glasgow City Council, the 18 members of trade union Unison are calling for better pay for working shifts.

They will form picket lines at the firm's headquarters on London Road from 6.30pm.

Workers are currently paid £8.25 an hour for working 12-hour shift patterns, providing 24-hour monitoring of 440 CCTV cameras 365 days of the year.

Their job is to alert police if they spot trouble breaking out on the streets or crimes being committed.

Staff argue that colleagues working similar shift patterns receive thousands more in their wage, and plan to strike again on Thursday March 17 if the dispute is not resolved.

Brian Smith, Glasgow branch secretary at Unison, said: "Weekends are the peak time for these guys...Rangers are at Ibrox and Celtic are at Parkhead this weekend so it could be busy.

"The staff do an important job, there is no doubt about that, and they should be paid the right amount for it.

"These members work 12 hour shift patterns, providing a 24 hour service every day of the year.

"Other workers in CSG and Glasgow City Council on similar shift patterns receive an additional annual payment of £7,500.

"It is just a question of equality and fairness.

"We have given the employer years to sort this out through a promised job evaluation scheme which has now been shelved.

"Our members have been left with no option but to take strike action."

According to the union, the dispute had been running for more than three years before staff voted to take strike action.

Mr Smith said due to a council decision to review their arm's length bodies, community safety Glasgow told staff "everything was off the table."

He said: "CSG said they couldn't do anything.

"That was what triggered the decision, they said enough is enough."

A spokesman for Community Safety Glasgow said: “Public safety is paramount and we have business continuity plans in place to enable us to continue to monitor the city’s CCTV network.”