The Fight for Equal Pay in Glasgow
Lots of readers are sending copies of their emails and tweets to Glasgow politicians - here's an example of a letter one person has sent to Nicola Sturgeon, a local Glasgow MSP and Scotland's First Minister.
If you ask me, the SNP should make a real virtue of the situation in Glasgow by announcing its intention to implement in full the terms of the original 1999 Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement.
Now this landmark 1999 National Agreement was intended to sweep away the widespread pay discrimination against thousands of low paid, female dominated jobs in Scottish councils - jobs done by carers, cleaners, cooks, catering staff, clerical workers, classroom assistants and so on.
In my view this would be a real 'game changer' and as well as being the right thing to do, I believe such a bold move would be very popular because it would show some real political leadership after years of betrayal by successive Labour councils.
So keep up the emails and tweets because they make the politicians sit up and take notice - as I've said many times on the blog site before 'Many Hands Make Light Work'.
Dear Ms Sturgeon,
I am writing to you to ask that you intervene in the ongoing saga surrounding Glasgow City Council's (GCC) WPBR scheme. The scheme concerned the equal payment of council employees across sexes. You will no doubt be aware that the Court of Session recently ruled that the scheme was "unlawful" and "unfit for purpose" as it discriminated and underpaid female employees and those in "traditionally" female jobs.
This year, for the first time in decades the council changed hands, with the SNP's Susan Aitken now leading the council. I held hope that this result would see a change of approach in industrial relations and how the council was run. Given the party's clear recognition in its manifesto that "significant numbers of lower-paid staff – the vast majority of them women – have waited over a decade for settlement of their equal pay claims" and pledge that it would "[work towards] settling all outstanding equal pay claims within this Council term" I felt that the SNP would finally expel the disgraceful stain on the council's record - one that has underpinned my 25-year career with them.
Shamelessly, the council is still dragging its heels on the issue - refusing to release details of the scheme and has sought leave to appeal the court's decision. This despite Susan herself stating that "GCC will not pursue further appeals and will now talk to workers". I fear, like so often, the SNP has sought to lull the public with false promises and that it is politics as usual.
I am therefore asking that you please take charge of the situation and act on behalf of the low earning, discriminated against GCC workers. Please do not discard this as an internal matter for GCC. This is a national outrage and at this point GCC is demonstrating that it is unfit or unwilling to do the right thing. Show leadership in who it is the SNP stands for and deliver on the transformation that was promised.
Sincerely,
AC
