A UNION has claimed that Glasgow Life has spent the same amount of money using contractors for work as what it would have cost to settle a dispute with workers over pay.

Unite’s claim comes as workers at the Emirates Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Dalmarnock prepare to go on strike again this weekend.

The group of workers are not happy about the alleged withdrawal of pay allowances for certain tasks being carried out.

The dispute, which is not related to the worker’s core pay, instead focusses on additional payments relating to manual working demands, and whether the setting up and de-rigging works at the Emirates qualify for this.

An overtime ban was put in place by the trade union in November. The first strikes took place over four days in December. There are now two days further strike action on Saturday and Sunday.

Unite say Glasgow Life management have employed outside contractors to complete outstanding work created by strike action.

The dispute involves 30 workers who are claiming an extra £10 in wages per week for ‘heavy lifting’ – and Unite say it would cost £15,000 a year to settle the dispute.

The union also claim between November and the end of February Glasgow Life paid out £43,093 to sub-contractors.

Unite convenor Eddie Cassidy said: “We’ve established that in the 10 months before the dispute started Glasgow Life paid out around £4,100 a month to outside contractors. In the first four months of the dispute they paid out £10,800 a month to contractors. You don’t need to be a Nobel Peace prize mathematician to work out what is going on – it’s loadsamoney strikebreaking.”

He added: “These sums don’t add up. In four months the Glasgow Life charity has paid sub-contractors almost the same as what it would have cost to settle the dispute for three years.”

A spokesman for Glasgow Life said: “This dispute is not about core pay. Some of the staff involved already receive up to £7,960 in additional payments, recognising that they work, for example, at night. Unite are demanding more additional payments which we do not believe are justified. We have agreed to go to the arbitration service, ACAS, to independently adjudicate on this dispute and Unite continues to refuse to do so.”

The facility will operate as normal.