Pass It On

Hardly a day goes by without a reader from North Lanarkshire contacting me - over the council's foot dragging antics on equal pay.

So the best thing I can do is just to encourage people to use the good Scots tongues they've all got in their heads - by speaking their mind.

Because it doesn't take a genius to work out that North Lanarkshire Council is facing  an election in a few months time - in May 2012.

And the more people who tell the ruling Labour Group - which runs North Lanarkshire Council - to get their finger out the sooner all the outstanding equal pay claims will be settled.

If the council's political leaders are not prepared to listen - then the solution is quite  obvious and it's in the voters own hands.

Here's a previous post from the blog site which explains the background - and provides the council leader's (Councillor Jim McCabe's) e-mail address: macabej@northlan.gov.uk

Local democracy is not a spectator sport - so the best advice I can give people is to get involved - and pass it on.    

Ask an impertinent question (February 1st 2012)

As regular readers know North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) is coming up for re-election in May 2012 - along with every other council in Scotland.

The last time council elections were held was in May 2007 - a whole lot of things have changed in the past five years - some for better, others for worse.

But one thing that hasn't changed is North Lanarkshire Council's fondness for dragging its feet - when it comes equal pay.

Action 4 Equality Scotland represents over 2500 equal pay claimants - in North Lanarkshire Council - the vast majority of NLC claims still before the employment tribunals.

Action 4 Equality Scotland has achieved interim equal pay settlements for lots of low paid workers - but many are still waiting on a final resolution of their claims.

For example, several hundred former APT&C workers have still to be made any offer of settlement - as have lots of male workers with perfectly valid equal pay claims.

In many other councils these two groups were made settlement offers long ago.

The recent settlement in Edinburgh on behalf of former APT&C workers - has stepped up the heat of North Lanarkshire and other councils in Scotland - to do the same.

North Lanarkshire Council is run by a Labour party group - which has an overall majority of councillors - and the Leader of the Council is Councillor James McCabe - a former NUPE (now Unison) steward.

So if claimants and readers would like to ask the Leader of the Council - why North Lanarkshire is still draggng its feet after all this time - then Jim's e-mail address is: mccabej@northlan.gov.uk

I'm sure readers are perfectly able to put across their point of view - politely but firmly.

But if I were asking a question I would ask the Council Leader how he expects his party to win people's support?

When Labour in Lanarkshire is stubbornly refusing to settle many outstanding claims - which have been resolved amicably elsewhere - and are long overdue a settlement.