North Lanarkshire Update

I received rather a strange email from a union member in North Lanarkshire the other day who said that she had been encouraged to join a union recently after being told that this was essential in order for her to pursue an equal pay claim against North Lanarkshire Council 

Now the reason this seems odd to me is that the trade unions agreed weeks ago not to pursue any new equal pay claims against the Council.

So why would they be encouraging new members to join after the stable door has been bolted, so to speak?

Unless of course it was all just a cynical recruiting device, knowing full well that these new members were really being recruited under 'false pretences' and in the knowledge that their new equal pay claims were never going to see the light of day, supported by their trade union at least.

Here's what I said to the person who contacted me the other day.   


Dear J

Well if you have only just joined the union and were advised to do so in order to pursue an equal pay claim with North Lanarkshire Council, then it looks to me as if you've been taken for a ride, as they say.

Because my understanding is that the unions agreed some time ago not to raise any further new claims against the Council, so it looks to me as if equal pay has been used as a cynical 'recruiting device' to attract new members, knowing full well that the union would not be pursuing a claim on your behalf.

I don't understand why the Council would be writing to you on this matter because the unions would know from their own records whether you had an ongoing equal pay claim or not.

So the union's behaviour sounds rather dodgy and underhand if you ask me.

Kind regards

Mark