Who's Kidding Who?
More interesting revelations over the Unison 'Members Briefing' from December 2005 - here's a further extract:
"Whilst South Lanarkshire ended bonus payments as part of the local single status negotiations, thus ending this discrimination, other councils continue this practise (sic).
The payments being offered in Glasgow are in recognition of this historical and continuing discrimination and to avoid the need for workers to take equal pay claims.
Discussions are ongoing at Scottish level to see if a framework can be arrived at for all other councils.
South Lanarkshire have not made these payments since they ended the bonus payments as part of the local agreement."
Now here comes the strange bit.
Because a reader from South Lanarkshire has passed on a copy of a letter signed by the local Unison Branch Secretary - Stephen Smellie (pronounced Smiley not Smelly) - dated 13 November 2007.
And in the penultimate paragraph of his letter Stephen Smellie says on behalf of the local Unison branch:
"In relation to your specific questions, there is no separate 'Single Status Agreement' which was signed in South Lanarkshire."
Yet the Unison briefing from 2005 couldn't be clearer - because here's what it says:
"Negotiations led to the introduction of the common conditions for all staff and the implementation of the Council's job evaluation scheme - the Competence Initiative.
Unison, GMB and TGWU were fully involved in the negotiations. Finally, following Unison's ballot of all members, an agreement was reached."
So who's kidding who here?
"Whilst South Lanarkshire ended bonus payments as part of the local single status negotiations, thus ending this discrimination, other councils continue this practise (sic).
The payments being offered in Glasgow are in recognition of this historical and continuing discrimination and to avoid the need for workers to take equal pay claims.
Discussions are ongoing at Scottish level to see if a framework can be arrived at for all other councils.
South Lanarkshire have not made these payments since they ended the bonus payments as part of the local agreement."
Now here comes the strange bit.
Because a reader from South Lanarkshire has passed on a copy of a letter signed by the local Unison Branch Secretary - Stephen Smellie (pronounced Smiley not Smelly) - dated 13 November 2007.
And in the penultimate paragraph of his letter Stephen Smellie says on behalf of the local Unison branch:
"In relation to your specific questions, there is no separate 'Single Status Agreement' which was signed in South Lanarkshire."
Yet the Unison briefing from 2005 couldn't be clearer - because here's what it says:
"Negotiations led to the introduction of the common conditions for all staff and the implementation of the Council's job evaluation scheme - the Competence Initiative.
Unison, GMB and TGWU were fully involved in the negotiations. Finally, following Unison's ballot of all members, an agreement was reached."
So who's kidding who here?
