I have been working at G4S for over 18 years. The work that we do is around the clock, all year round. It therefore involves shift work, as there is need for the place to have workforce 24/7. The original rota involved people having to do different shifts, that included am, pm and night shifts. This went on for a few years, however it brought challenges, especially when it came to staffing night shifts.

The management, after consultation, found out there were some staff among the workers ready to do permanent night shifts. Those willing then volunteered and a permanent night team was created on equal pay. This worked well and was the case for about sixteen years.

Then about three years ago, the then director decided to start paying our colleagues doing day shifts about £2,500 more per year compared to those doing permanent night shifts. The night team queried the rationale behind this pay disparity. However, our concerns were ignored. We tried to engage the senior managers, including the director and our Staff Association representative, but our grievances fell on deaf ears.

After about three years of being ignored, I decided to take our grievance outside of the organisation. That is when I approached Organise to help us through a petition. At first, I felt nervous about petitioning my employer as I was thinking — what if my employer gets to find out it was me who started the petition?

I was, however, assured after speaking to Amy that everything stays confidential and anonymous. I spoke to some of my colleagues about starting the petition. I got mixed reactions. Some supported the idea, some opposed it — saying what if it fails? What if the management gets to know who started the petition? Will we not be targeted or get harassed?

However, all these questions did not stop me from trying and going ahead to fight for what I believed was a social justice cause.

I chose Organise to help me because I had signed several petitions before that were raised on their platform, and I had read about several successful petitions they had done. Organise also helped me get in touch with other people who had signed and commented on the petition.

After getting in touch with these other colleagues who had signed, I encouraged them to share it with other people. This helped in growing the petition. I was kind of surprised by the number of people who signed, showing their support for the petition. This made me believe that this was a very serious issue that was affecting a lot of people.

I give Amy and Roxana a pat on the back for giving me the courage to stand up for many others. I commend them for the encouragement, professionalism, and the help they gave me in drafting letters, emails, and connecting me with others in a similar situation.

When we got this big number of signatures, Amy and Roxana helped me draft a letter to the director again raising our grievances. Organise also wrote a covering letter referring the director to the link of the petition. It was at this point when the management realised that the issue was now in the public domain.

They were moved, I think, by the number of signatures supporting the petition — and from nowhere, our staff representative approached us to write another letter justifying why we think we deserve equal pay as our colleagues who work day shifts. We wrote our letter, and within days, our representatives were called for a meeting with the director and the Human Resources manager.

The meeting only took about 30 minutes, and a deal for equal pay was agreed. The director acknowledged that our letters were self-explanatory, and this compelled them to make a quick and positive decision.

What worked well in this campaign was the willingness to share the petition with as many people as possible, and the detailed letters that we wrote to the director — which were self-explanatory and argued our case before even sitting down for the negotiations. The constant follow-up emails from Organise helped in compelling the director to act quickly.

What we might do differently next time is to raise our grievances as early as possible and exhaust all avenues quickly instead of keeping a grievance for a long time, as this has an effect on work morale. This issue was affecting our morale and mental health.

The outcome of this action was welcomed by everyone at work. Everyone is saying we should have done this earlier. Everyone feels valued and an important part of the organisation.

However, the only outstanding issue left now is about back pay, as everyone feels we should be compensated for loss of earnings incurred in the past three years.

I would like to end by saying to everyone:

“If you feel something isn’t right at work, take the initiative to speak up — don’t wait for someone else to do it. You are the change that you want. There is power in unity. If something is affecting you as a team, speak up collectively, with one voice — and nine times out of ten, if the managers see that you are united in your cause, they are more likely to listen.”

What I have learnt from this case is that people in power may misuse their authority to try and intimidate you. However, if you work together and raise your concerns collectively, you’re likely to be listened to. Do not let your mental well-being suffer because of an issue at work. Seek help — and the help may come from the least expected places.

My next step is to campaign for night work to be tightly regulated, as I feel many employers abuse night shift workers and undermine the work that night workers do.

In solidarity,

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A Night Secure Custody Officer at G4S

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