Freedom of Information
Alex Neil, MSP has written a letter to the Scottish Information Commissioner - on the ongoing attempts to inject some openness and transparency - into South Lanarkshire Council's pay arrangements.
Here's the gist of what Alex's letter says:
Scottish Information Commissioner,
Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road,
St Andrews,
Fife
KY16 9DS
Dear Kevin
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL
I am writing to you on behalf of - various employees who have come to see me - who are currently in dispute with South Lanarkshire Council regarding its refusal to make available to them the information the Council used to decide the outcome of their single status review. These employees of South Lanarkshire Council have been placed in an impossible position where South Lanarkshire Council has undermined their right to this information. It is not just the information for the information’s sake. These employees feel, in my view rightly, very aggrieved at the lack of progress in implementing single status in South Lanarkshire Council. They are unable to progress matters through an Employment Tribunal because they do not have the raw data on which the decisions made by South Lanarkshire Council were based.
While I appreciate I am not a party at the moment to the request for this information I am writing on behalf of all of the these employees to ask you to use your powers to ensure that South Lanarkshire Council makes the relevant information available to them. The relevant requests already submitted to you relates to the report prepared and researched by and for South Lanarkshire Council which informs the decisions taken in relation to its single status policies. I would very much appreciate it if you could make a timeous decision on this matter as these employees have now been fighting to get this information for some considerable time. It seems to me they have been treated very poorly by the Council and therefore entitled to the maximum support in obtaining the information and then, where appropriate, taking appropriate matters further. I am happy to discuss this in more detail with you if required.
Meantime I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Alex Neil MSP
Alex Neil's efforts stand in stark contrast to the behaviour of many other MSPs - who proclaim their support for equality and equal pay at every opportunity - yet are happy to look the other way - when it suits their convenience.
If any readers want to contact Alex Neil, his e-mail address is: Alex.Neil.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Here's the gist of what Alex's letter says:
Scottish Information Commissioner,
Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road,
St Andrews,
Fife
KY16 9DS
Dear Kevin
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL
I am writing to you on behalf of - various employees who have come to see me - who are currently in dispute with South Lanarkshire Council regarding its refusal to make available to them the information the Council used to decide the outcome of their single status review. These employees of South Lanarkshire Council have been placed in an impossible position where South Lanarkshire Council has undermined their right to this information. It is not just the information for the information’s sake. These employees feel, in my view rightly, very aggrieved at the lack of progress in implementing single status in South Lanarkshire Council. They are unable to progress matters through an Employment Tribunal because they do not have the raw data on which the decisions made by South Lanarkshire Council were based.
While I appreciate I am not a party at the moment to the request for this information I am writing on behalf of all of the these employees to ask you to use your powers to ensure that South Lanarkshire Council makes the relevant information available to them. The relevant requests already submitted to you relates to the report prepared and researched by and for South Lanarkshire Council which informs the decisions taken in relation to its single status policies. I would very much appreciate it if you could make a timeous decision on this matter as these employees have now been fighting to get this information for some considerable time. It seems to me they have been treated very poorly by the Council and therefore entitled to the maximum support in obtaining the information and then, where appropriate, taking appropriate matters further. I am happy to discuss this in more detail with you if required.
Meantime I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Alex Neil MSP
Alex Neil's efforts stand in stark contrast to the behaviour of many other MSPs - who proclaim their support for equality and equal pay at every opportunity - yet are happy to look the other way - when it suits their convenience.
If any readers want to contact Alex Neil, his e-mail address is: Alex.Neil.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
