Brass Necks and South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is in a terrible pickle over how to handle a new round of equal pay grievances.
Stefan Cross has re-issued these grievances (in South Lanarkshire as elsewhere) to protect the interests of clients - the detailed reasons have been spelled out in a separate letter.
But South Lanarkshire has a particular problem - because it has been pretending up till now that people don't really understand what their grievances are about.
Well we have news for South Lanarkshire - people do understand - of course they do - a child could grasp the point that's being made.
Their grievances are about why groups of traditional male jobs such as gardeners and refuse workers - are paid so much more (thousands of pounds more, in many cases) than cleaners, catering workers, carers, classroom assistants, admin & clerical workers and nursery nurses!
South Lanarkshire now has to decide whether to re-hear all these grievances - and to answer them properly this time.
If they do, here are a few points to bear in mind:
1 Hearings must be arranged during your normal working hours - not just for the convenience of local management
2 You are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague at these grievance hearings - so buddy up with the person in front of or behind you - and do the same for them
South Lanarkshire employees know exactly what's a stake - because they're the ones whose jobs have been undervalued and underpaid their jobs all these years.
Further advice to follow - so watch this space - and spread the word.
Stefan Cross has re-issued these grievances (in South Lanarkshire as elsewhere) to protect the interests of clients - the detailed reasons have been spelled out in a separate letter.
But South Lanarkshire has a particular problem - because it has been pretending up till now that people don't really understand what their grievances are about.
Well we have news for South Lanarkshire - people do understand - of course they do - a child could grasp the point that's being made.
Their grievances are about why groups of traditional male jobs such as gardeners and refuse workers - are paid so much more (thousands of pounds more, in many cases) than cleaners, catering workers, carers, classroom assistants, admin & clerical workers and nursery nurses!
South Lanarkshire now has to decide whether to re-hear all these grievances - and to answer them properly this time.
If they do, here are a few points to bear in mind:
1 Hearings must be arranged during your normal working hours - not just for the convenience of local management
2 You are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague at these grievance hearings - so buddy up with the person in front of or behind you - and do the same for them
3 Don't put up with rude or bad behaviour - we've had report of managers giving people a hard time. So, if you encounter any objectionable behaviour contact Mark Irvine or Stefan Cross.
What a cheek the council has for telling people they don't understand their own grievances - senior managers must have highly polished brass necks - as they say in the west of Scotland - for coming away with a line like that!South Lanarkshire employees know exactly what's a stake - because they're the ones whose jobs have been undervalued and underpaid their jobs all these years.
Further advice to follow - so watch this space - and spread the word.
