Monkey Business in Midlothian
We are reliably informed by well-informed sources in Midlothian Council – that the council is about to offer a secret cash ‘buy out’ of current bonus payments to male workers.
The bonus earning men are entitled to 3-years protection of their bonus payments under the 1999 Single Status Agreement.
But the council has other ideas as it plans to introduce a new, job evaluation (JE) based pay and grading structure – which the council calls ‘Modernising Midlothian’.
The council is deliberately withholding the results of the JE scheme - wonder why?
Yet in the meantime it is trying to browbeat its employees into giving up their equal pay claims – and accepting new contracts of employment.
The fact is that women workers in Midlothian are entitled to the same treatment as the men - no less favourable is the legal test.
So, if male workers get offered pay protection – a higher salary for 3 years – then so should the women.
If the men get offered a cash lump sum – instead of pay protection – then so should the women.
In other words – what’s sauce for the goose – should be sauce for the gander – that would comply very nicely with Midlothian Council’s equal opportunities policy.
So, don’t let the council bully or panic you into giving up your claim at this stage – no one will get into trouble simply for standing up for their rights under the law.
One curious aspect of the cash buy-out to the male bonus earners is that the men can take the money and walk away – they don’t have to earn the money by staying with the council for 3 years – as they would have to do under pay protection.
Funny way to behave with public money - maybe someone should tell the council’s external auditors?
The bonus earning men are entitled to 3-years protection of their bonus payments under the 1999 Single Status Agreement.
But the council has other ideas as it plans to introduce a new, job evaluation (JE) based pay and grading structure – which the council calls ‘Modernising Midlothian’.
The council is deliberately withholding the results of the JE scheme - wonder why?
Yet in the meantime it is trying to browbeat its employees into giving up their equal pay claims – and accepting new contracts of employment.
The fact is that women workers in Midlothian are entitled to the same treatment as the men - no less favourable is the legal test.
So, if male workers get offered pay protection – a higher salary for 3 years – then so should the women.
If the men get offered a cash lump sum – instead of pay protection – then so should the women.
In other words – what’s sauce for the goose – should be sauce for the gander – that would comply very nicely with Midlothian Council’s equal opportunities policy.
So, don’t let the council bully or panic you into giving up your claim at this stage – no one will get into trouble simply for standing up for their rights under the law.
One curious aspect of the cash buy-out to the male bonus earners is that the men can take the money and walk away – they don’t have to earn the money by staying with the council for 3 years – as they would have to do under pay protection.
Funny way to behave with public money - maybe someone should tell the council’s external auditors?
