Council Questions
A kind reader has sent me a copy of a letter that has appeared in many of the local newspapers in South Lanarkshire - from a local councillor, Cllr Peter Craig.
Here's what he had to say and I imagine that Cllr Craig would be interested in hearing what Council employees and local voters in South Lanarkshire - have to say on the matter.
So, if you would like to contact Councillor Craig's here is his email address: peter.craig@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk
Dear Editor
Now all five of the Supreme Court Justices have joined the three Court of Session Lords and the Information Commissioner in ruling unanimously against the Labour administration's attempt to keep pay information out of the hands of the low paid women workers.
We should take time to look at the reason why South Lanarkshire would spend so much taxpayers money to take this case to the Supreme Court, where Supreme Court Judge, Lord Wilson described their argument as variously “Dancing on the head of a pin” and “Alice in Wonderland”.
Having taken the time to watch the court case live the unanimous verdict came as no surprise. The big surprise for me was that they allowed the case to come to court in the first place. The Labour Administration have tried to take the high ground by saying that they were protecting their employees information through which individuals could be identified, but the Supreme Court in judgement said:
“In this particular case, however, as the processing requested would not enable Mr Irvine or anyone else to discover the identity of the data subjects, it is quite difficult to see why there is any interference with their right to respect for their private lives. It is enough to apply article 7(f) and condition 6 in their own terms.”
The real injustice in this case was not to the employees whose identity could be revealed, but to those thousands of low paid woman who need this information to prove their case of wage discrimination, where did they come in Labour’s priority of looking after employees.
Having read the Council’s spokespersons comments “the judges make it clear that they took our arguments seriously and believed our case was worth putting before them." However the last word should come from Supreme Justice Lady Hale in her conclusion she states:
“My conclusion is, therefore, that the Commissioner adopted a test which was probably more favourable to the Council than was required and certainly no less favourable. In any event it is quite clear that he was entitled to reach the conclusion that he did”
Cllr Peter Craig
Ward 20 Larkhall
