North Lanarkshire

A number of readers have been in touch recently to say that the rumour mill in North Lanarkshire is in overdrive - with speculation as to why settlement offers to some trade union claimants have been put on hold - for the moment.

Apparently one of the sillier stories doing the rounds is that Action 4 Equality Scotland is somehow involved in this 'omnishambles' between the council and the trade unions - because we allegedly 'lost' an important case involving Equal Value (or former APT&C) claimants.

But this is completely untrue - utter nonsense and drivel - about as believable as Mark Irvine  being appointed as a new, all-powerful adviser to North Lanarkshire Council on equal pay.

Fun and interesting though that would be - I have to admit.

The real story is - according to my sources - that there is a big problem over the way settlement offers have been calculated by the council and agreed by the trade unions - which sounds a bit crazy, but there you are.

Some trade union claimants have been in touch with Action 4 Equality Scotland - and we have explained (without getting directly involved) how such settlement offers should be calculated.

And I imagine that information has been used to ask some pointed questions of the trade unions and the council - which might explain why such offers were put on hold all of a sudden.

The current position is that A4ES has not been made any reasonable settlement offers by North Lanarkshire Council - which A4ES could recommend clients for accept.

But if and when we do A4ES will ensure that any offers are properly calculated and that the basis of any offer is fully explained - before making any recommendation for clients to accept.

In the meantime A4ES is pressing for all of the outstanding EV (former APT&C) cases to be listed for a full hearing at the Employment Tribunal - in light of recent developments at the UK Supreme Court.