Glasgow - Blessed Are The Peacemakers (2)

Stefan Cross continues his bridge-building efforts with the following Facebook post
which is fair comment in my view and ends with the observation that 'working together' is difficult and  requires real effort.

1. Strikes are not my decision but the consultative ballot was part of the joint campaign. It would therefore have been better for the response to be a joint response
2 no one has explained the rush.
3 people read BS notice as an expectation of payment in January. That would be great but impossible to be full and final. Sadly BS is still repeating this. Your analysis is far more accurate
4. BS Said strike ballot would be revisited in January not that it would be kept under review
5 abandoning WPBR and the new promise of a timetable are huge successes as a result of the women standing together.
6 RA promised nothing on funding the settlements
7 RA suggested no new pay scheme until 2021/22 which means WPBR for possibly another 3.5 years. This has huge implications for settlement and the entire process.
8 such a major announcement should have been discussed
9 working together is difficult and means doing things differently. We all need to learn from our mistakes, including me.

But Stefan is right to point out that the original Unison statement did say quite clearly that, "if the council attempt to delay beyond the end of 2018 then conducting a formal strike ballot will be back on the cards."

Now that may just be an unfortunate use language, but it's easy to see how these words could be very easily interpreted as the Council not having to face the prospect of industrial action until January 2019 onwards - or a 'free hand' for the rest of 2017.

So I think it's good the position has now been clarified and that Council realises that Glasgow's settlement negotiations are 'on notice' over the summer period and that progress (or otherwise) will be kept under critical and ongoing review.

Because that's exactly where the Claimants Side should have been after two great ballot results from Unison and the GMB.

Extract from Unison statement

Demand 1 - Timeframe for individual claimants being compensated

The council letter makes a commitment to:

“finalise, as far as possible, agreement by the end of the year and then begin the processing of any payments due after that”.

Whilst the timeframe for individual claimants being compensated for past discrimination is longer than hoped for it was felt that strike action would not significantly shorten this timeframe. We will be closely monitoring the council side’s approach at each meeting.  Clearly if the council attempt to delay beyond the end of 2018 then conducting a formal strike ballot will be back on the cards.

  

Glasgow - 'Blessed Are The Peacemakers' 1 (01/06/18)

Stefan Cross gently bashes a few heads together and calls for more discipline on the Claimants Side - in the ongoing fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council! 

  

GMB RESPONSE TO ROBERT ANDERSON'S LETTER

This is rather different response to the UNISON Post on Facebook

I have to say this would have been my response. Thanks for the promises GCC but NOW DELIVER THEM and only then will we withdraw the strike threat.

On a more negative note. It’s again unilateral action by the union. There are 3 organisations in this fight, unison gmb and A4ES. We are supposed to be a claimant group. 

We have a meeting on Tuesday. WHAT WAS THE RUSH? why could we not have discussions before each organisation put out a Response? 

There were no deadlines and all the power was on our side after the Great ballot results. Instead we look disunited and unhappy with each other.

Bit of an own goal from the claimant side I think.

Hopefully we can patch things up on Tuesday.


Stefan