Windy Rhetoric and Hidden Agendas
The trouble with the unions is that they’re not open, transparent organisations – they’re full of windy rhetoric and hidden agendas, much of which is driven by party politics – instead of what’s in the best interests of ordinary union members.
What you see is definitely not what you get.
Take their campaign to poach ongoing clients from Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross – they tell people a lot of baloney about hidden charges and suchlike - scare stories which are simply not true.
But what they fail to point out is that:
1. The unions allowed the employers to get away with murder – and just looked on from the sidelines while thousands of low paid union members accepted poor offers of settlement from their employers
2. The GMB union is not even involved in the important Glasgow GMF ‘defence’ hearing – where the council has to try and justify the big differences in pay between traditional male and female jobs
3. In many areas the unions are not fighting for equal pay on behalf of former APT&C groups – admin and clerical workers and other school based employees, for example.
4. The unions are not challenging the Compromise Agreements signed by their members - in Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Fife Councils, for example.
5. The unions have not taken up claims on behalf of their non-bonus earning male workers – this has been left to Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross.
6. The unions have a terrible track record on Job Evaluation – sometimes helping management to introduce a scheme – at others conveniently looking the other way when their members need practical advice and support.
7. In South Lanarkshire the unions have nothing to say about equal pay – they are not fighting a single case – even though the pay gap there (between male and female jobs) is broadly the same as in other Scottish councils.
The reality is that the unions were too cosy for far too long with the employers – that’s why virtually nothing happened after the historic Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement was signed in 1999.
The unions deliberately chose not to rock the boat – even though council budgets doubled in the 10 years up to 2007 – that was down to a potent mix of bad politics and lousy leadership.
The unions are now seen as a soft touch by the employers – some employers would no doubt like to deal with their old union chums – instead of having to do business with Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross.
But the leopard hasn’t changed its spots – the unions would revert to their old ways in a heartbeat – and the people who would lose out are ordinary union members.
What you see is definitely not what you get.
Take their campaign to poach ongoing clients from Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross – they tell people a lot of baloney about hidden charges and suchlike - scare stories which are simply not true.
But what they fail to point out is that:
1. The unions allowed the employers to get away with murder – and just looked on from the sidelines while thousands of low paid union members accepted poor offers of settlement from their employers
2. The GMB union is not even involved in the important Glasgow GMF ‘defence’ hearing – where the council has to try and justify the big differences in pay between traditional male and female jobs
3. In many areas the unions are not fighting for equal pay on behalf of former APT&C groups – admin and clerical workers and other school based employees, for example.
4. The unions are not challenging the Compromise Agreements signed by their members - in Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Fife Councils, for example.
5. The unions have not taken up claims on behalf of their non-bonus earning male workers – this has been left to Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross.
6. The unions have a terrible track record on Job Evaluation – sometimes helping management to introduce a scheme – at others conveniently looking the other way when their members need practical advice and support.
7. In South Lanarkshire the unions have nothing to say about equal pay – they are not fighting a single case – even though the pay gap there (between male and female jobs) is broadly the same as in other Scottish councils.
The reality is that the unions were too cosy for far too long with the employers – that’s why virtually nothing happened after the historic Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement was signed in 1999.
The unions deliberately chose not to rock the boat – even though council budgets doubled in the 10 years up to 2007 – that was down to a potent mix of bad politics and lousy leadership.
The unions are now seen as a soft touch by the employers – some employers would no doubt like to deal with their old union chums – instead of having to do business with Action 4 Equality Scotland and Stefan Cross.
But the leopard hasn’t changed its spots – the unions would revert to their old ways in a heartbeat – and the people who would lose out are ordinary union members.
