Too Close to Home?
I read with some amusement the other day about an attack on Glasgow City Council - by the country's biggest (Labour supporting) union - Unite.
The union has its knickers in a terrible twist - over the council spending taxpayers money on a motivational speaker - Jack Black, a former social worker from Easterhouse in Glasgow.
Glasgow City Council is apparently paying up to £50 a head for firms in the city to send employees to see Jack Black - for motivational sessions on positive thinking.
The one-day seminar scheduled for later this month costs £120 per head - but small businesses or members of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce will be able to attend for £50 - paid by the council from business development grants.
Allegedly the bill for the city council could reach £45,000 - if 900 council-sponsored delegates attend, of course.
The public sector union Unite said the money would be better spent on safeguarding jobs - presumably within the council.
A Unite spokeman said:
"If they are investing sums of money in this motivational speaker quite frankly we would rather see the money directed to staff who face difficult conditions now."
Now is this a waste of public money?
I don't know for sure, but I can see the logic for wanting to hear from a local Glasgow boy made good - who might just inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
What strikes me as odd though - is the great fuss being made by Unite over a one-off payment of £45,000 - at worst.
When the Labour-led council in Glasgow has been spending @£260,000 every year - making double payments to many of its councillors - including an extra £20,000 to the Chair of City Building.
Now why hasn't Unite made a big fuss about that?
I think we should be told.
The union has its knickers in a terrible twist - over the council spending taxpayers money on a motivational speaker - Jack Black, a former social worker from Easterhouse in Glasgow.
Glasgow City Council is apparently paying up to £50 a head for firms in the city to send employees to see Jack Black - for motivational sessions on positive thinking.
The one-day seminar scheduled for later this month costs £120 per head - but small businesses or members of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce will be able to attend for £50 - paid by the council from business development grants.
Allegedly the bill for the city council could reach £45,000 - if 900 council-sponsored delegates attend, of course.
The public sector union Unite said the money would be better spent on safeguarding jobs - presumably within the council.
A Unite spokeman said:
"If they are investing sums of money in this motivational speaker quite frankly we would rather see the money directed to staff who face difficult conditions now."
Now is this a waste of public money?
I don't know for sure, but I can see the logic for wanting to hear from a local Glasgow boy made good - who might just inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
What strikes me as odd though - is the great fuss being made by Unite over a one-off payment of £45,000 - at worst.
When the Labour-led council in Glasgow has been spending @£260,000 every year - making double payments to many of its councillors - including an extra £20,000 to the Chair of City Building.
Now why hasn't Unite made a big fuss about that?
I think we should be told.
