Argyll & Bute
Argyll & Bute is the latest council to try and bully its staff into accepting new contracts of employment.
The council has written to all employees with the outcome of the (Single Status) Job Evaluation exercise - which determines what people's new grades and rate of pay will be. If they don't accept what's on offer voluntarily, the council says it will simply impose the deal anyway.
How's that for good management and modern industrial relations?
Predictably, Argyll & Bute is following the same well trodden path of other councils - North Lanarkshire, West Lothian and Fife to name a few.
Significantly, the council is providing people the scores of only their own jobs - they want people to make a huge decision completely in the dark - without crucial details of how other employees are being treated. What are they afraid to share this information?
Because the council doesn't want the women workers to see how the male jobs have been scored - or to understand that the much higher earnings of the male workers will be protected for years to come.
Oh no, because that would let the cat out of the bag - and allow the women workers to see that they are being treated less favourably than the men.
As usual, the trade unions are standing on the sidelines - and doing the employers dirty work by failing to offer support and practical advice to their members.
Stefan Cross has written to all clients in Argyll & Bute to confirm our advice - don't accept the new contract on a voluntary basis.
Better the council imposes the new contract - since as this puts everyone in a stronger position to challenge the discriminatory nature of the new terms.
Bottom line is that while male jobs continue to be treated differently to female jobs - the fight for equal pay continues .
The council has written to all employees with the outcome of the (Single Status) Job Evaluation exercise - which determines what people's new grades and rate of pay will be. If they don't accept what's on offer voluntarily, the council says it will simply impose the deal anyway.
How's that for good management and modern industrial relations?
Predictably, Argyll & Bute is following the same well trodden path of other councils - North Lanarkshire, West Lothian and Fife to name a few.
Significantly, the council is providing people the scores of only their own jobs - they want people to make a huge decision completely in the dark - without crucial details of how other employees are being treated. What are they afraid to share this information?
Because the council doesn't want the women workers to see how the male jobs have been scored - or to understand that the much higher earnings of the male workers will be protected for years to come.
Oh no, because that would let the cat out of the bag - and allow the women workers to see that they are being treated less favourably than the men.
As usual, the trade unions are standing on the sidelines - and doing the employers dirty work by failing to offer support and practical advice to their members.
Stefan Cross has written to all clients in Argyll & Bute to confirm our advice - don't accept the new contract on a voluntary basis.
Better the council imposes the new contract - since as this puts everyone in a stronger position to challenge the discriminatory nature of the new terms.
Bottom line is that while male jobs continue to be treated differently to female jobs - the fight for equal pay continues .
