Job Evaluation - Midlothian
Midlothian Council is reneging on its commitment to deliver a new pay and grading structure - which it has been promising for the past 10 years.
Midlothian - along with all Scottish councils - signed a landmark equal pay (Single Status) agreement in 1998 - which committed the council to ending years of pay discrimination against its largely female workforce.
As part of that agreement, Midlothian (and the local trade unions) promised to introduce a modern, non-discriminatory pay structure - and to evaluate all council jobs to ensure a fairer deal for female workers.
10 years on and Midlothian has suddenly announced that it's abandoning its new job evaluation scheme - without publishing the results.
The council's decision was communicated to the Edinburgh employment tribunal which is dealing with hundreds of equal pay claims from disgruntled Midlothian workers.
The council's decision is shocking and completely crazy - it's a further betrayal of the council's female workers and begs the question:
"Just what the hell have the council and the unions been doing for the past 10 years?"
Council officials claimed they were working furiously on a new job evaluation scheme and fairer pay structure - now they've suddenly abandoned it without publishing the results or discussing them with anyone.
The only reason for this bizarre about turn is that the results must have found in favour of the female workers - who were promised equal pay 10 years ago.
The council's decision does not affect cases that are already underway - but they are digging an ever-deeper hole for themselves - and it's bound to encourage even more Midlothian workers to pursue an equal pay claim.
Midlothian - along with all Scottish councils - signed a landmark equal pay (Single Status) agreement in 1998 - which committed the council to ending years of pay discrimination against its largely female workforce.
As part of that agreement, Midlothian (and the local trade unions) promised to introduce a modern, non-discriminatory pay structure - and to evaluate all council jobs to ensure a fairer deal for female workers.
10 years on and Midlothian has suddenly announced that it's abandoning its new job evaluation scheme - without publishing the results.
The council's decision was communicated to the Edinburgh employment tribunal which is dealing with hundreds of equal pay claims from disgruntled Midlothian workers.
The council's decision is shocking and completely crazy - it's a further betrayal of the council's female workers and begs the question:
"Just what the hell have the council and the unions been doing for the past 10 years?"
Council officials claimed they were working furiously on a new job evaluation scheme and fairer pay structure - now they've suddenly abandoned it without publishing the results or discussing them with anyone.
The only reason for this bizarre about turn is that the results must have found in favour of the female workers - who were promised equal pay 10 years ago.
The council's decision does not affect cases that are already underway - but they are digging an ever-deeper hole for themselves - and it's bound to encourage even more Midlothian workers to pursue an equal pay claim.
