Glasgow and Cordia
Cordia is an arms length body set up by Glasgow City Council - to deliver much of the council's front-line social care and education services.
Cordia - via Glasgow City Council - employs over 10,000 people covering a wide range of services including: Home Carers, Catering Workers, Cleaners and Janitors.
As part of Glasgow's drive to reduce spending - Cordia has been discussing a package of possible 'cuts' with the trade unions which include:
1 a self-financing pay rise of 0.65%
2 the removal of premium rates for overtime working - beyond 37 hours per week
3 the removal of premium rates for bank holiday working.
What readers are asking is: "Can Glasgow City Council and Cordia get away with this?"
Well the answer is - No - they can't introduce new pay arrangements unilaterally - the employer has to seek agreement from the trade unions and/or the agreement of individual employees.
If the employer introduces these changes without such agreement - then their actions are open to challenge.
The fly in the ointment - as so often - is that trade unions have the power to vary people's contracts of employment - through collective bargaining with employers.
Although trade unions have a duty to properly consult their members - before agreeing to any significant changes - which on occasion they conveniently ignore.
So, the big question is - What have the trade unions done? - the employers says that the unions have been consulted - but what have they said officially on behalf of their members?
Have the unions - probably GMB and Unison - said that they flatly reject the plans to cut the pay and conditions of already low paid workers?
If anyone knows the answer - then get in touch with Mark irvine at: markirvine@compuserve.com
It's possible that these proposals affect women workers more than men and - if so - that could also leave them open to challenge.
