Consulting the Workforce
In the spring of 1999 the Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement was put to a ballot of all union members in Scotland.
The result was overwhelming with a majority of over 90% voting to support the new arrangements - which included a non-discriminatory and nationally recommended job evaluation scheme (JES).
The intention of the new JE scheme was to give a better deal for thousands of female dominated jobs – which had been undervalued and underpaid for years.
Then not much happened, with different deadlines coming and then going - until Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross came along in August 2005 - and began explaining the big pay gap between traditional male and female jobs.
As council workers began submitting hundreds and then thousands of equal pay claims - the employers and trade unions panicked - and hastily drew up another agreement under the guise of Scottish Council Circular SJC/22 in November 2005.
SJC Circular/22 recognised that many low paid council workers had valid equal pay claims – and it proposed levels of compensation for individual councils to consider.
But the levels of compensation agreed by the employers and the trade unions were never properly explained - or put to a vote of ordinary union members. Nor was any account was taken of the many people working overtime hours or beyond their normal contracted hours.
How strange that the high standards set for consulting the grassroots in 1999 - could be so easily set aside in 2005.
As things turned out, many employers ignored the advice in SJC Circular/22 - by making offers of settlement which watered down even further the compensation levels agreed with the unions - but not put directly to the workforce.
And that's why so many people have turned to Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross Solicitors for advice.
The result was overwhelming with a majority of over 90% voting to support the new arrangements - which included a non-discriminatory and nationally recommended job evaluation scheme (JES).
The intention of the new JE scheme was to give a better deal for thousands of female dominated jobs – which had been undervalued and underpaid for years.
Then not much happened, with different deadlines coming and then going - until Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross came along in August 2005 - and began explaining the big pay gap between traditional male and female jobs.
As council workers began submitting hundreds and then thousands of equal pay claims - the employers and trade unions panicked - and hastily drew up another agreement under the guise of Scottish Council Circular SJC/22 in November 2005.
SJC Circular/22 recognised that many low paid council workers had valid equal pay claims – and it proposed levels of compensation for individual councils to consider.
But the levels of compensation agreed by the employers and the trade unions were never properly explained - or put to a vote of ordinary union members. Nor was any account was taken of the many people working overtime hours or beyond their normal contracted hours.
How strange that the high standards set for consulting the grassroots in 1999 - could be so easily set aside in 2005.
As things turned out, many employers ignored the advice in SJC Circular/22 - by making offers of settlement which watered down even further the compensation levels agreed with the unions - but not put directly to the workforce.
And that's why so many people have turned to Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross Solicitors for advice.
