Unions Let Their Members Down
Glasgow City Council has lots of male workers who never received big bonus payments - groups such as Janitors and Special Needs Drivers .
The following article appeared on the Action 4 Equality Scotland blog site in January 2008 - almost two years ago - explaining that these groups of male workers had the same equal pay claim as everyone else.
At the time the unions advised their members not to pursue a claim - just as they continue to do in South Lanarkshire - but that advice has turned out to be completely wrong.
Reports from Glasgow suggest that the unions are now changing their tune - but even if they can register a claim now, which is doubtful since they are arguably time barred - the individuals involved have lost out big time.
Because they are starting 5 years behind everybody else.
If you were advised by a union official not to pursue an equal pay claim - the union may be responsible for your loss - and you may be able to sue for negligence.
If you have a story to tell or need advice, contact Mark Irvine at: markirvine@compuserve.com
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Glasgow Jannies
Word is clearly spreading amongst school janitors in Glasgow (and elsewhere) - because we are getting lots of enquiries about why this group has a valid equal pay claim - see post dated 3 December 2007.
The reason is that school janitors were at the top of the manual workers grading scheme for many years - yet paid much less than other male groups on lower grades.
The old scheme has only recently been replaced - by new and allegedly non-discriminatory pay arrangements - but janitors and others still have strong claims for back pay and compensation .
Because for years school janitors were on manual worker grades 5, 6 and 7 - yet paid less than refuse workers on grades 2, 3 and 4!!
The relatively high grades of school janitors reflected the level of responsibility they had for school buildings and school facilities - in some larger schools for swimming pools and suchlike.
How can this be fair?
Well the answer is that it can't - and that's why janitors have equal pay claims, despite what they've been told by their trade unions - because they've been robbed blind all these years.
The same is true of other groups - take drivers in social work or education, for example, who transport vulnerable clients back and forth to day centres.
Now often these drivers have to hold a PSV licence - which allows them to transport people and passengers safely - and not just a heavy goods (HGV) licence which the chap driving the council bin lorry requires.
So, why should one driver (i.e. the refuse driver) be paid so much more than his counterpart in education or social work - when they have been on exactly the same grade for all these years?
Yet another example of hypocrisy on the part of the trade unions - different rules for different groups - when everyone is supposed to be equal.
Posted by Mark Irvine at 01:41 - 15 January 2008
The following article appeared on the Action 4 Equality Scotland blog site in January 2008 - almost two years ago - explaining that these groups of male workers had the same equal pay claim as everyone else.
At the time the unions advised their members not to pursue a claim - just as they continue to do in South Lanarkshire - but that advice has turned out to be completely wrong.
Reports from Glasgow suggest that the unions are now changing their tune - but even if they can register a claim now, which is doubtful since they are arguably time barred - the individuals involved have lost out big time.
Because they are starting 5 years behind everybody else.
If you were advised by a union official not to pursue an equal pay claim - the union may be responsible for your loss - and you may be able to sue for negligence.
If you have a story to tell or need advice, contact Mark Irvine at: markirvine@compuserve.com
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Glasgow Jannies
Word is clearly spreading amongst school janitors in Glasgow (and elsewhere) - because we are getting lots of enquiries about why this group has a valid equal pay claim - see post dated 3 December 2007.
The reason is that school janitors were at the top of the manual workers grading scheme for many years - yet paid much less than other male groups on lower grades.
The old scheme has only recently been replaced - by new and allegedly non-discriminatory pay arrangements - but janitors and others still have strong claims for back pay and compensation .
Because for years school janitors were on manual worker grades 5, 6 and 7 - yet paid less than refuse workers on grades 2, 3 and 4!!
The relatively high grades of school janitors reflected the level of responsibility they had for school buildings and school facilities - in some larger schools for swimming pools and suchlike.
How can this be fair?
Well the answer is that it can't - and that's why janitors have equal pay claims, despite what they've been told by their trade unions - because they've been robbed blind all these years.
The same is true of other groups - take drivers in social work or education, for example, who transport vulnerable clients back and forth to day centres.
Now often these drivers have to hold a PSV licence - which allows them to transport people and passengers safely - and not just a heavy goods (HGV) licence which the chap driving the council bin lorry requires.
So, why should one driver (i.e. the refuse driver) be paid so much more than his counterpart in education or social work - when they have been on exactly the same grade for all these years?
Yet another example of hypocrisy on the part of the trade unions - different rules for different groups - when everyone is supposed to be equal.
Posted by Mark Irvine at 01:41 - 15 January 2008
