South Lanarkshire Council

Clients in South Lanarkshire are getting increasingly restive because of their council's refusal to face up to reality on equal pay.

South Lanarkshire is the only council in Scotland not to have offered some form of compensation to predominantly female workers - whose jobs have been undervalued and underpaid for many years.

The council says it introduced a fair job evaluation system in 2004 - but crucially the council refuses point blank to share the details with anyone - including thousands of their own employees. The details of the scheme are also known to the trade unions - apparently but they won't let their members in on the secret either.

Open, honest and transparent this ain't - so the fight continues!

As senior councillors know, the pay gap between traditional male and female groups is as wide in South Lanarkshire as in any other part of Scotland. Just ask a refuse worker or a gardener in South Lanarkshire what they're paid - compared to a Home Carer or School Cook?

Our clients know - because they live and work alongside their friends, neighbours and other family members who do these jobs - and they won't be conned into believing that South Lanarkshire doesn't have an equal pay problem - because the truth is they have a bigger problem than most other councils.

So, it's time to put the facts in front of local politicians - some of whom are in denial over equal pay, while other just don't know what's been happening all these years.

For example, South Lanarkshire used its own (back of a fag packet Job Evaluation Scheme) instead of the one recommended by CoSLA. Funny that, especially as the President of CoSLA at that time was - and still is - Pat Watters, a senior figure in South Lanarkshire Council

An Action 4 Equality client went to see Pat Watters recently. Our client wanted to know, quite reasonably, what the male groups of workers are paid - not details of individuals earnings, which are obviously private, but the average earnings and rates of pay that these traditionally male jobs attract.

Surprise, surpise - Pat Watters would not provide her with this information and tried to fob the woman (and council tax payer) off by referring her back to council officials who would, allegedly, deal with her request.

Now if Pat Watters - or anyone else in South Lanarkshire can show there has not been a huge pay gap between male and female jobs all these years - we will pack our bags and go home!

Given the council's stubborn attitude we are now helping our clients in South Lanarkshire to put the facts to local politicians - and to ask them where they stand on equal pay. The council's web site has contact details for all local councillors at: http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/

If you need help in finding the right person for you area, get in touch with Mark Irvine - here are some of the key players:

Pat Watters - President of CoSLA (the Scottish employers umbrella body) and senior SLC councillor: pat.watters@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk or by phone on 07748 114617

Eddie McAvoy - Labour Leader of South Lanarkshire Council and former trade union official: councillor.mcavoy@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk or by phone on 07748 114583

Archie Buchanan - Leader of the SNP group in South Lanarkshire:
archie.buchanan@southlananrkshire.gsx.gov.uk

David Baillie - Lib Dem leader in South Lanarkshire:
david.baillie@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk

Beith Forrest - Leader of the Conservatives and part of SLC's ruling Labour/Tory coalition:
beith.forrest@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk

Tommy Gilligan - Leader of the Independents on South Lanarkshire:
tommy.gilligan@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk

In addition, there are a whole host of MSPs whose consituencies cover part of the council area - here is a selection

Labour MSPs