Glasgow - Equal Pay Update
Lots of readers have been in touch to ask why the Glasgow Unison branch decided to rush out a statement on equal pay settlement negotiations with the City Council without consulting the members most directly affected (i.e the claimants) and other claimant organisations.
Now I don't know, I have to admit, and it seems to have been done with indecent haste - on the very same day Unison received a letter apparently promising that the City Council 'leopard' has changed its spots.
The Council letter, by the way, is from Robert Anderson (head of human resources) who is not one of Glasgow's 'chief official' - and is certainly not the council's chief executive (Annemarie O'Donnell) or its director of corporate services (Carole Forrest) who has been 'leading' for the Council up until now.
I suspect lots of people will be confused and perhaps even angry at this turn of events since all Unison had to do at this stage, if you ask me, was to 'sit tight' and talk up the great response there has been to the Unison and GMB ballots on strike action.
The resounding result to these ballots certainly put the Council in a spin and there was really no need to do or say anything just now other than to emphasise that the ball is now in the Council's court, for obvious reasons.
I certainly didn't expect the unions to say they would move to a formal strike ballot (under the employment legislation) straight away.
The obvious move to make was (and still is) to tell the Council that it has got to get serious about settlement and come forward with proposals which address not just replacing the WPBR, but the compensation due to the claimants for working under these discriminatory, 'unfit for purpose' pay arrangements for the past 12 years.
And as the former Head of Local Government for Unison ib Scotland and the union's chief negotiator, I obviously know how the system works.
So I suspect there will be a bit of a backlash from members who will want the unions to confirm that industrial action is still very much on the cards, if there are not real real signs of progress in the weeks ahead.
If there are not serious proposals on the table to resolve this dispute by the end of the summer holidays, I would expect union members to be demanding a strike ballot in August/September - because by that time it will be clear whether the Council really is getting its act together.
I have now seen a copy of the letter from Robert Anderson and will have more to say about its contents later today - I would urge the Council or Unison to publish the letter so everyone can see what its says, rather than just sharing selected extracts.
In the meantime, the Claimants Side meets next Tuesday (5th June) and I hope this will result a strong and united statement which leaves the Council in no doubt that it has to start 'walking the walk' instead of just 'talking the talk' over equal pay.
Equal Pay in Glasgow
To UNISON members, Glasgow City Council and ALEOs,
This communication contains important information on individual equal pay compensation issues and the future wages of all Glasgow City Council and ALEO workers.
UNISON Glasgow Branch elected representatives from all parts of Glasgow City and its ALEOs met at our branch committee today to consider both the ballot results and letter from the council received today (31 May).
The unanimous view of your UNISON elected representatives was that the council letter addresses the three demands which members had been balloted on.
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.
Demand 2 – WPBR is dead
The council has accepted that the current Workforce Pay and Benefits Review (WPBR) job evaluation scheme is dead and that a new equality-proofed job evaluation scheme will be agreed with the trade unions. The council letter says it will:
“abandon the current scheme and start work on identifying a replacement scheme that would ensure equal pay going forward”
This is a clear victory for equal pay in the city. Work to agree a new job evaluation scheme will begin immediately. The trade unions will be meeting the council every two weeks on this matter. As things move forward UNISON wants members’ voices to be a central part of this process.
Demand 3 – Funding for new pay and grading system
The council letter says that they are:
“committed to implementing a fully funded, fair and just pay and grading scheme which pays equally for equal work and which our employees have confidence in.”
The exact amount of additional funding cannot be known by either side at this stage and of course could lead to further disputes between the council and the trade unions. Again, members need to get involved in understanding and debating these issues within the trade union.
Next Steps
UNISON will begin the next stage of our campaign to deliver equal pay in Glasgow at our Equal Pay Campaign Group meeting on Thursday 14 June at 6pm in the branch office, 84 Bell Street, G1 1LQ. This meeting is open to all UNISON members.
Well done on the ballot results!
Finally, a big well done to all those members who took part in the consultative strike ballots.
The pressure which the ballots created on the council definitely had an impact. The above concessions and commitments from the council are down to you.
Let’s build on that and increase UNISON organisation and activity across the whole branch on the issue of equal pay and all the other crucial workplace issues that affect our members day in, day out.
Get involved in your trade union!
UNISON Glasgow Branch, 84 Bell Street, G1 1LQ
