Equal Pay Campaign

I was at another well attended and lively equal pay meeting in North Lanarkshire the other night - this time in Newmains.

Lots of interesting points were raised and discussed on the night - here's a flavour of what was said:

What can we expect from our politicians?

Well, I think you can certainly expect them to stand up and speak out - instead of trying to act like postboxes by offering to write to the Council's chief executive passing on your views. What I would bee looking for from my councillor, MSP or MP is for that person to weight up what's been happening at the Employment Tribunal and to come off the fence:

1. by making their own views clear about the Council's failure to grade key female posts such as Home Support Workers properly
2. by commenting on the fact that bonus earnings have been used to assimilate male jobs onto the Council's new pay scales (thus preserving the old differences in pay)
3. by demanding an investigation into the performance of the Council's senior officials who have presided over this mess while being in denial for years

In other words, don't be fobbed off by a politician who wants to take the easy way out by offering to write a letter - insist on getting your elected representative to explain where they stand personally, and if you don't like the answer tell them so - and look for better support elsewhere.

That's why people have a choice of councillor and MSP although sadly the same doesn't apply to Westminster MPs.

Can we attend the Employment Tribunal (ET) hearing?

Yes, all claimants are entitled to attend and the next dates are scheduled for 1 and 2 May 2014. The Glasgow ET office is a short 10 minute walk from Central Station going west along Bothwell Street. People don't need to stay all day but I'm sure it will send the right message back to the Council if senior managers have to give their evidence in front of some of the staff who have been affected by the way this whole thing has been handled.

Can I switch my claim to A4ES?

Yes, very easily. If you already have a claim registered with the Employment Tribunals and wish A4ES to take this over simply call the office (0131 652 7366) or drop an email to -  enquries@action4equality.uk - and your claim will be transferred across intact from the date it was originally registered with the tribunal. In others words, you are not starting over again and the time the claim has been in the system still counts.    


Will I receive a settlement if I don't have a claim registered?

No, definitely not. Lots of people were told this by their trade unions but found out to their cost that this is simply not true, for example in South Lanarkshire. 


What can we do to help?   

First of all, remember that many hands make light work!

So people can help in lots of practical ways - by asking for support from their councillors, MSPs and MPs and sharing what they have to say. Inside information is also vital and some of the women claimants will know the men who do traditional male jobs within the Council who can share details about how these jobs are paid - on a confidential basis of course. 

The argument about equal pay is not that the men are paid too much but that the women are paid too little, so look for support amongst the male workers as well.