West Lothian Council
Action 4 Equality Scotland has written to several councils - about their 'foot-dragging' behaviour over equal pay.
For example, here's a copy of a recent letter to the Leader of West Lothian Council - Councillor Peter Johnston.
At the last set of local council elections, the SNP took control of West Lothian - but this has made little, if any, difference on equal pay.
The council has blown hot and cold on settlement discussions - discussions have taken place - but ultimately these discussions have gone nowhere because West Lothian has its head stuck in the sand.
So, the priority is to get West Lothian to a GMF hearing - where the council will have to explain and justify its discriminatory pay practices.
Contact details for Councillor Johnston and local MPs/MSPs will follow.
Action 4 Equality Scotland
44 York Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3HU
Councillor Peter Johnston
Leader of West Lothian Council
Dear Councillor Johnston
West Lothian Council and Equal Pay
As you may know, Action 4 Equality Scotland is currently pursuing 171 equal pay claims, in the Employment Tribunals, against West Lothian Council.
The majority of these cases are known as RAE (rated as equivalent) claims because the jobs involved have already been rated or valued under a common job evaluation scheme; in this case the one contained in the old Manual Workers Green Book.
The Local Government and Communities committee of the Scottish Parliament recently urged councils in Scotland to address these RAE claims on a pragmatic basis because the underlying legal issues involved are very straightforward and, broadly speaking, the employers have little, if any, chance of successfully defending their position.
We are currently pressing the Employment Tribunal to set a date for a GMF (Genuine Material Factor) hearing of the West Lothian Council cases. At this hearing, the council will be required to explain and justify what it now accepts were the discriminatory pay arrangements that applied previously (to these RAE claimants) in low paid, predominantly female, manual worker jobs.
Action 4 Equality Scotland has negotiated settlements with various other councils in the recent past including: Glasgow, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Aberdeenshire and East Ayrshire. Active settlement discussions are also underway with Falkirk and East Lothian councils.
I am approaching you in the same spirit to see if West Lothian Council is prepared to reach a fair and reasonable settlement of the outstanding claims. If so, then a GMF hearing may not need to proceed, thus saving the council considerable time and expense.
MSPs and MPs have shown an interest in this subject. I am copying this letter to those in the West Lothian Council area, so they know that Action 4 Equality Scotland is prepared to act responsibly and negotiate on behalf of clients in West Lothian, as elsewhere.
If council officials are interested in taking up this offer, we are happy to meet on an informal ‘without prejudice’ basis in the first instance, to assess what progress can be made.
Kind regards
Mark Irvine
cc Alex Linkston, Chief Executive – West Lothian Council
For example, here's a copy of a recent letter to the Leader of West Lothian Council - Councillor Peter Johnston.
At the last set of local council elections, the SNP took control of West Lothian - but this has made little, if any, difference on equal pay.
The council has blown hot and cold on settlement discussions - discussions have taken place - but ultimately these discussions have gone nowhere because West Lothian has its head stuck in the sand.
So, the priority is to get West Lothian to a GMF hearing - where the council will have to explain and justify its discriminatory pay practices.
Contact details for Councillor Johnston and local MPs/MSPs will follow.
Action 4 Equality Scotland
44 York Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3HU
Councillor Peter Johnston
Leader of West Lothian Council
Dear Councillor Johnston
West Lothian Council and Equal Pay
As you may know, Action 4 Equality Scotland is currently pursuing 171 equal pay claims, in the Employment Tribunals, against West Lothian Council.
The majority of these cases are known as RAE (rated as equivalent) claims because the jobs involved have already been rated or valued under a common job evaluation scheme; in this case the one contained in the old Manual Workers Green Book.
The Local Government and Communities committee of the Scottish Parliament recently urged councils in Scotland to address these RAE claims on a pragmatic basis because the underlying legal issues involved are very straightforward and, broadly speaking, the employers have little, if any, chance of successfully defending their position.
We are currently pressing the Employment Tribunal to set a date for a GMF (Genuine Material Factor) hearing of the West Lothian Council cases. At this hearing, the council will be required to explain and justify what it now accepts were the discriminatory pay arrangements that applied previously (to these RAE claimants) in low paid, predominantly female, manual worker jobs.
Action 4 Equality Scotland has negotiated settlements with various other councils in the recent past including: Glasgow, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Aberdeenshire and East Ayrshire. Active settlement discussions are also underway with Falkirk and East Lothian councils.
I am approaching you in the same spirit to see if West Lothian Council is prepared to reach a fair and reasonable settlement of the outstanding claims. If so, then a GMF hearing may not need to proceed, thus saving the council considerable time and expense.
MSPs and MPs have shown an interest in this subject. I am copying this letter to those in the West Lothian Council area, so they know that Action 4 Equality Scotland is prepared to act responsibly and negotiate on behalf of clients in West Lothian, as elsewhere.
If council officials are interested in taking up this offer, we are happy to meet on an informal ‘without prejudice’ basis in the first instance, to assess what progress can be made.
Kind regards
Mark Irvine
cc Alex Linkston, Chief Executive – West Lothian Council
