East Lothian - Noses and Troughs
East Lothian - like many other councils in Scotland - has been quick to tell women workers that they can't afford equal pay.
Very sorry and all that, should have done much better and, of course, it won't happen again - but let's look forward, not back and just get on with the job of delivering first class council services. This is the line repeatedly trotted out by senior councilors and officials - when trying to pour oil on the troubled waters of equal pay.
But all too often it's one law for those at the top - while those demanding equal pay are told not to be greedy and not to rock the boat!
Consider then the treatment of East Lothian's chief executive just before the council elections in May 2007. Mr Lindsay was about to retire shortly (at age 59) - but the Labour group (which controlled the council at that point) agreed that he should also receive a redundancy package worth £149,000 - on top of his early retirement package of £200,000 (£150,000 as a lump sum and £50,000 a year pension).
To his credit the lone SNP councillor on the council (at that time) - David Berry - complained about the deal and Audit Scotland - the public spending watchdog stepped in to investigate just what the hell was going on.
Good for them!
Now, in a damning report, Audit Scotland has found that East Lothian Council: "fell a long way short of the standards expected of public bodies" in its handling of this ludicrous pay-off to its chief executive. Read the full report at: http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/
Hopefully, heads will now roll with a new SNP/Lib Dem administration running the council.
The old Labour regime which approved the pay-off is in disgrace - having lost its former leader, Norman Murray who had a very dodgy track record on equal pay - see post dated 16 February 2007. Norman has since bailed out of local politics with a £20,000 tax free pay off - for services rendered over the years.
So has his chum and former Labour councillor, John 'Two Hats' Ross - an unusual character who managed to wear an employer's hat in East Lothian Council for years, while the next minute (or at least a short train journey from Musselburgh), John would pop up in Edinburgh Council wearing his trade union hat.
John has been Edinburgh Unison's conditions of service officer - for years and years and years - with a key role (you guessed it) on equal pay. Wonder what John thinks of all these shenanigans - now he's wearing just one hat and not two?
You couldn't make it up, as they say.
Very sorry and all that, should have done much better and, of course, it won't happen again - but let's look forward, not back and just get on with the job of delivering first class council services. This is the line repeatedly trotted out by senior councilors and officials - when trying to pour oil on the troubled waters of equal pay.
But all too often it's one law for those at the top - while those demanding equal pay are told not to be greedy and not to rock the boat!
Consider then the treatment of East Lothian's chief executive just before the council elections in May 2007. Mr Lindsay was about to retire shortly (at age 59) - but the Labour group (which controlled the council at that point) agreed that he should also receive a redundancy package worth £149,000 - on top of his early retirement package of £200,000 (£150,000 as a lump sum and £50,000 a year pension).
To his credit the lone SNP councillor on the council (at that time) - David Berry - complained about the deal and Audit Scotland - the public spending watchdog stepped in to investigate just what the hell was going on.
Good for them!
Now, in a damning report, Audit Scotland has found that East Lothian Council: "fell a long way short of the standards expected of public bodies" in its handling of this ludicrous pay-off to its chief executive. Read the full report at: http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/
Hopefully, heads will now roll with a new SNP/Lib Dem administration running the council.
The old Labour regime which approved the pay-off is in disgrace - having lost its former leader, Norman Murray who had a very dodgy track record on equal pay - see post dated 16 February 2007. Norman has since bailed out of local politics with a £20,000 tax free pay off - for services rendered over the years.
So has his chum and former Labour councillor, John 'Two Hats' Ross - an unusual character who managed to wear an employer's hat in East Lothian Council for years, while the next minute (or at least a short train journey from Musselburgh), John would pop up in Edinburgh Council wearing his trade union hat.
John has been Edinburgh Unison's conditions of service officer - for years and years and years - with a key role (you guessed it) on equal pay. Wonder what John thinks of all these shenanigans - now he's wearing just one hat and not two?
You couldn't make it up, as they say.
