Glasgow - Equal Pay Update

I forgot to mention in a recent post about visiting Glasgow City Chambers that I bumped into another elected member on my way out of the building - Councillor Graham Campbell from the SNP.

Now I hadn't met Cllr Campbell in the flesh before, but I recognised his photograph from the GCC web site, so I stopped and introduced myself because we had exchanged words, previously, via email, over equal pay.

Regular readers will recall that back in January I received a bizarre note from Cllr Campbell asking me to stop sending him information about the ongoing fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council.

I queried this at the time, but never received a response so I took the opportunity to ask the councillor why he would behave in such a strange and rude way.

Graham's answer was that as a committed trade unionist he knows all about equal pay and doesn't need information from me or anyone else to help him 'see the wood through the trees'.

As you can imagine, we had a few words over his attitude because I've been involved in fighting for people's employment rights for most of my working life, yet I would never dream of presenting myself as someone who knows all there is to know on the subject.

In fact, I'm still on a steep learning curve and on a very regular basis I come across employers and council bosses who find new ways of trying to wriggle out of their commitments over equal pay or in relation to Freedom of Information requests, for example.

So if you ask me, Cllr Campbell's attitude is both arrogant and foolish, and I suspect he will come unstuck if he behaves in such a smug manner towards local constituents in Glasgow, especially those still fighting the City Council for equal pay.   

 

Glasgow - Equal Pay Update (09/01/18)

I said in a post the other day that I had heard back from only one of Glasgow's MSPs and MPs which is true, but I have also received a rather strange email from a local councillor, Cllr Graham Campbell.
Now I've been sending information about the fight for equal pay to all Glasgow councillors, as you would expect, yet this chap asked me not to send him updates and posts from my blog - without even the courtesy of an explanation.

I've never met Graham Campbell, so maybe he was just having an off day.
But no doubt equal pay claimants in the Springburn and Robroyston area will have noted the councillor's apparent disinterest in a matter of such huge importance to local constituents who are still fighting for equal pay.

Dear Graham

I have not received a response to my email dated 1 January 2018 in which I asked you to explain why a elected Glasgow councillor should object to receiving information about the long fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council.

Action 4 Equality Scotland (A4ES) represents over 80% of the equal pay claimants in Glasgow (the great majority) some of whom are bound to live in the Spingburn and Robroyston area, i.e. the ward which you represent as a local councillor.

As I said in my earlier email, I would expect every Glasgow councillor to take an active interest in this long running dispute regardless of party affiliation and I cannot understand why there should be such disinterest, hostility even, from a member of the SNP.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards


Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Irvine <markirvine@compuserve.com>
To: Graham.Campbell <Graham.Campbell@glasgow.gov.uk>
Sent: Mon, Jan 1, 2018 6:46 pm
Subject: Re: Glasgow - Joke of the Year

Dear Graham

Why would I do that exactly?

The information I am sending you is about the long fight for equal pay and I would have thought that would be of interest to every elected councillor in Glasgow - regardless of party affiliation.

Kind regards

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Campbell, Graham (Councillor) (Councillor) <Graham.Campbell@glasgow.gov.uk>

To: Mark Irvine <markirvine@compuserve.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 1, 2018 6:23 pm
Subject: RE: Glasgow - Joke of the Year

Dear Mr Irvine

Please remove my address from your email list.

Thanks in advance