Johnny Comes Lately
Unison has issued a letter on equal pay to all Scottish members – nothing unusual in that you might say – but this one’s not from local Unison branches it’s from regional secretary, Matt Smith.
The letter says: “I am writing to let you know about legal action that your union plans to take against your employer, (insert name of council) to try to ensure equal pay.”
“We believe that there may be many potential cases for back pay where women are able to compare themselves with men who are graded on the same level but are not receiving the same payment.”
Where has Unison been all this time – what planet has it been on? Because we’ve been advising people about their rights to equal pay for years (albeit in better English) – while the unions failed to support their own low paid women members.
The letter goes on to highlight the strict time limits that apply in equal pay cases – the 6 month rule – which means that people have only 6 months from leaving their employment, or working to a new contract – to register a claim.
Leave it more than 6 months and your claim is out of time – no matter how open and shut the case might be.
By a strange coincidence a former Unison member has been in touch this week – she left her council in 2004 after 32 years of service as a home carer – she should have been told then that she had an equal pay claim – and how to protect her interests.
Sadly, she was not advised about her rights and as a result she has lost out, big time – all because of her union’s complete indifference to equal pay – until recently.
The council could make her a settlement offer and that would be the right thing to do – after all she was in post for 5 years after the 1999 Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement – but they can’t now be compelled to do so through the courts.
Maybe Unison will step into the breach – they certainly should because thousands of people who left council employment after 1999 are in exactly the same position – high and dry.
Is Unison’s conversion a case of: a) ‘Too Little Too Late’, b) ‘Better Late Than Never’ or c) ‘Just Another Recruitment Drive’? Take your pick.
One thing’s for sure – Unison has let down many of its low paid members over the past 10 years – and that’s why the union is always at the Coo’s Tail when it comes to leading the fight for equal pay.
The letter says: “I am writing to let you know about legal action that your union plans to take against your employer, (insert name of council) to try to ensure equal pay.”
“We believe that there may be many potential cases for back pay where women are able to compare themselves with men who are graded on the same level but are not receiving the same payment.”
Where has Unison been all this time – what planet has it been on? Because we’ve been advising people about their rights to equal pay for years (albeit in better English) – while the unions failed to support their own low paid women members.
The letter goes on to highlight the strict time limits that apply in equal pay cases – the 6 month rule – which means that people have only 6 months from leaving their employment, or working to a new contract – to register a claim.
Leave it more than 6 months and your claim is out of time – no matter how open and shut the case might be.
By a strange coincidence a former Unison member has been in touch this week – she left her council in 2004 after 32 years of service as a home carer – she should have been told then that she had an equal pay claim – and how to protect her interests.
Sadly, she was not advised about her rights and as a result she has lost out, big time – all because of her union’s complete indifference to equal pay – until recently.
The council could make her a settlement offer and that would be the right thing to do – after all she was in post for 5 years after the 1999 Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement – but they can’t now be compelled to do so through the courts.
Maybe Unison will step into the breach – they certainly should because thousands of people who left council employment after 1999 are in exactly the same position – high and dry.
Is Unison’s conversion a case of: a) ‘Too Little Too Late’, b) ‘Better Late Than Never’ or c) ‘Just Another Recruitment Drive’? Take your pick.
One thing’s for sure – Unison has let down many of its low paid members over the past 10 years – and that’s why the union is always at the Coo’s Tail when it comes to leading the fight for equal pay.
