Incredible Figure

The 'secret' report on equal pay from North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) - which I've written about in recent says - contains some very interesting figures.

Would you believe for example that according to North Lanarkshire Council's own figures - there are somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 council employees - who can still register an equal pay claim. 

But haven't done so - yet.

Now that's an incredible number and what it tells you is that lots of NLC employees are still unaware of their rights - after all this time.

Action 4 Equality Scotland (A4ES) represents the vast majority of equal pay claimants in North Lanarkshire - because the unions have been in cahoots with the employer from day one.

First of all the unions kept their members completely in the dark about equal pay for years then in 2005 - when A4ES started to explain the big pay gap between traditional male and female jobs - the unions lined up alongside the management and tried to sell a new job evaluation scheme. 

Instead of standing up for the workforce. 

So now the unions have lost all credibility - and they've certainly not put much effort into ensuring that people get what they're entitled to - to what they deserve.

Most of the people who can still register an equal pay claim - will be 'white collar' or former APT&C workers.

People in jobs like Classroom Assistants or Clerical Workers of one sort or another - who don't realise that they been paid less than traditional male jobs like refuse workers and gardeners - for many years.

So if readers in North Lanarkshire know of anyone in that category - who is still in the dark over their rights to equal pay but wants to do something about it - then get them to drop me a note at: markirvine@compuserve.com

If I can help, I will.