Glasgow's MSPs and MPs (08/09/17)


I sent all Glasgow MSPs and MPs a copy of the posts from yesterday regarding the  Accounts Commission report and the 10 year 'failure of leadership' over equal pay.

If you ask me, Glasgow MSPs and MPs have not been very vocal or visible in standing up for the rights of their local constituents in the fight for equal pay over the past 10 years, but let's hope things are about to change for the better. 

So here is a list of the MSPs and MPs whose constituencies lie within the boundaries of Glasgow City Council - engaging with local politicians and asking them where they stand will help to bring the fight for equal pay to a speedy and successful conclusion.

Here's a handy link names all of the various Glasgow constituencies  for easy reference: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17759

I contacted all of these MSPs and MPs yesterday, so they are all up to speed on the latest developments and since the local elections in May 2017 Labour has, of course, lost political control of Glasgow City Council to the SNP.

The MSPs are all the same, but there are two changes in the MP list with David Linden replacing Natalie McGarry in Glasgow East and Paul Sweeney replacing Anne McLaughlin in Glasgow North East.

Contact details for Glasgow councillors can be found via the following link to the City Council's web site: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17565

Glasgow MSPs (Scottish Parliament)

Glasgow MPs (Westminster Parliament)
David.Linden.mp@parliament.uk
Paul.Sweeney.mp@parliament.uk
Carol.Monaghan.mp@parliament.uk

  

Glasgow - Breaking News!

Image result for breaking news + images

Here's a letter I sent earlier today to the leader of Glasgow City Council, Cllr Susan Aitken.

We are now at a critical point in the fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council because the new SNP led administration, while promising a new approach, has yet to deliver on its commitment to 'openness and transparency' as far as the WPBR pay scheme is concerned.

Dear Councillor Aitken

Glasgow's Secret Pay Arrangements

I enclose for your information a copy of the City Council's response to my latest FoI request regarding the operation of the Employee Development Commitment (EDC) scheme which, as you know, guaranteed the future earnings of former bonus earning jobs.

I plan to appeal this decision by submitting an FOI Review in due course, but I have to say that the present administration seems no different at this stage to the last Labour administration, as far as 'coming clean' over Glasgow's WPBR pay scheme is concerned.

So while I will use the FOISA process to challenge this unhelpful, obstructive behaviour, I also plan to step up my campaigning activities on equal pay because it seems to me that the City Council's senior officials are not interested in operating 'open, honest and transparent' pay arrangements.  

As you know, I believe the provision of this information is the key to resolving Glasgow's outstanding equal pay issues. As Lady Norris said at the Court of Session hearing the council clearly “looked after” the men well beyond the protection period, which means it is  crucial to know precisely how they were helped and what affect this had on their pay. The view of A4ES is that the women were entitled to the same help as the men. What happened to the men is the baseline for future settlement discussions. 

I understood the SNP Group to be committed to a new approach to resolving the outstanding equal pay issues in Glasgow, but whatever is happening behind the scenes, I have to tell you this is not having a noticeable effect on the behaviour of the Council's senior officials.


If senior officials in Scotland's largest council can't or won't get their act together, maybe the solution in Glasgow is to bring in the Accounts Commission to uncover what has really been going on for the past 10 years.

Kind regards



Mark Irvine

So the $64,000 dollar question, in the wake of the damning Accounts Commission report, is: who is going to step up to the plate now and what action will be taken to ensure things change for the better?

  

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