Questions and Answers

I have been receiving lots of enquiries from readers in Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire - these past few days.

The folks from Edinburgh want to know whether Nursery Nurses are in the category of council employees - who potentially have or had an equal pay claim.

Because the people contacting me were apparently told by their trade unions - years ago - that they had no such claim and would be wasting their time to pursue a claim.

Well all I can say is that Action 4 Equality Scotland has taken up claims on behalf of Nursery Nurses in the past - securing settlements in many areas including Glasgow, for example.

In North Lanarkshire people are concerned about some long-standing employment tribunal hearing not going ahead - and are worried in case this has an adverse effect on their equal pay claims.

The straightforward answer is that I don't know - though I can't imagine why the plug would be pulled on a important tribunal hearing especially at such short notice.

But what I do know is that the position of Action 4 Equality Scotland clients - has not been compromised in any way.

And what I also know is that North Lanarkshire Council is badly rattled and with the local elections only weeks away - the council is soming under great pressure to settle its outstanding claims.

In terms of the specific queries mentioned above the best people to explain what's going on is the union dealing with your claim - and/or the union that advised members they had no equal pay claim - in the first place. 

Either way people are entitled to a proper answer - even if the advice they were given at the time was wrong.

On the other hand if you're fed up with your union - and want to transfer your claim to Action 4 Equality Scotland, drop Mark Irvine a note at: markirvine@compuserve.com