The Fight for Equal Pay (01/05/16)
In a few days time the voters will elect a new Scottish Parliament which has the ability to put rocket boosters under the fight for equal pay.
Now all the opinion polls predict that Nicola Sturgeon will be re-elected as a Glasgow MSP and also returned as Scotland's First Minister.
So what will Nicola Sturgeon do as First Minister to follow up her pledge during the election campaign that council bosses will be called to account over equal pay?"
Glasgow City Council and North Lanarkshire Council are both in the firing line and so it will be interesting to see how things develop once the election is over and politicians are in the position of turning their words into action.
So the more people who get involved in the campaign, the sooner this will all be over, because as I've said before the fight for equal pay is not a spectator sport: politicians at all levels sit up and take notice when local people get organised and kick up a real fuss.
An enterprising reader wrote recently to the Scottish Government asking about Nicola Sturgeon's comments on the election campaign trail and here's the reply she received from the civil servant responsible for local government policy.
"Dear Ms B
"As you know we are currently in a period where Parliament is dissolved pending an election on 5 May. At this time I can only respond in respect of the Scottish Government’s position on equal pay settlements. I cannot comment on campaign pledges made by candidates.
"The Scottish Government agrees that many of these claims are taking far too long to be settled. Ministers have made it clear they are keen to see as speedy a resolution as possible of all outstanding equal pay claims and are frustrated at the continued delay. However, as I have already said, local authorities are independent of the Scottish Government and Ministers currently have no general power to intervene directly.
"I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful at this time."
Regards
Tony Romain
Local Government Policy and Relationships
In other words, actions speak much louder than words and so I am re-publishing some of the recent posts from the blog site to remind readers of the big issues at stake.
Let's turn up the heat on the councils who are still dragging their feet and call on local councillors, MPs, MSPs and Scottish Ministers to stand up and speak out on behalf of their local constituents.
