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North Lanarkshire Update



The Herald reports that yet another investigation is underway into allegations of corruption in North Lanarkshire Council (NLC).

Apparently, police are investigating concerns raised by council officials into a central heating company which is part-owned by NLC and this is completely separate to the corruption inquiry announced by the new council leader, Cllr Jim Logue, last week.

Seems like Councillor Logue regards himself as a 'new broom' as far as the old ways of doing things are concerned, but if you ask me he should also grasp the nettle and set up an independently-led inquiry into North Lanarkshire's handling of equal pay.



http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14446129.North_Lanarkshire_Council_probes_corruption_allegations/


North Lanarkshire Council probes corruption allegations


North Lanarkshire Council probes corruption allegations

Detectives have launched a preliminary investigation in to central heating concern Saltire after concerns were flagged up by officials at the local authority.
Their inquiry is separate to a sweeping corruption investigation announced by North Lanarkshire Council last week in response to a whistleblowing letter to its leader, Jim Logue, and The Herald.
However, insiders insist that the council's new political regime - Mr Logue took over the authority earlier this year - had moved quickly to pass on the latest Saltire allegations as it seeks to portray itself as a "new broom".


NLC Update (28/04/16)



What does North Lanarkshire Council and our European neighbour Spain have in common?

Well, for both of them December 2015 was a very important month.

Spain had a national election in December (before Christmas) and its politicians have spent the past four or five months since then arguing fiercely amongst themselves (while on full pay) in an unsuccessful effort to form a new Government.

The end result is that new elections will now be called and the earliest Spain can expect to start the whole process again is sometime during the summer of 2016; meanwhile Spanish civil servants are running the country.

North Lanarkshire Council, on the other hand, faced a much easier task last year, the Council having agreed to complete a job evaluation (JE) review of various council jobs before the end of December 2015, as part of an equal pay settlement agreed in the spring of 2015.

Now the outcome of this JE review was to have been backdated to 1st April 2015, so the long-suffering workforce is now well over a year beyond the intended settlement date for any changes to take effect - and for people to receive any backpay and pay increases they deserve, going forward.

But in April 2016 (four months after the agreed completion date) North Lanarkshire sends out senior managers to carry out their own 'review' of how Home Carers do their jobs and how long they take to perform certain tasks, even though (JE) job evaluation has nothing to do with the Social Work Department and despite the fact that this information has already been gathered by the Evaluation Panel. 

So, what is to be done about this unwarranted meddling and interference?

Well here's a letter I wrote to the Opposition leader on North Lanarkshire Council, Cllr David Stocks, at the beginning of April 2016 which called for an independently-led  review into the Council's appealing handling of equal pay.

Someone needs to get a grip on what is going on inside the Council and the trade unions could help by publishing the information has been gathered already, so that the workforce understands what issues senior managers are trying to overturn and change.

Councillor Stocks email address is: stocksd@northlan.gsx.gov.uk

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