NLC Feedback
A number of regular readers have been in touch asking if Action 4 Equality Scotland and the trade unions are working together in North Lanarkshire to knock some long overdue sense into the Council over equal pay.
Now I wouldn't oversell or exaggerate the level of cooperation, at this stage anyway, though there has been a level of agreement around the hearings at the Employment Tribunal, as you would expect.
Because it's clearly in everyone's interest to put maximum pressure where it belongs - on the senior managers and political leaders of North Lanarkshire Council to settle all of the outstanding equal pay claims on fair terms.
But there are still lots of problems to overcome especially as the unions are talking about a ballot of members to agree further changes to the Council's job evaluation scheme.
Which sounds completely crazy to me since the Council has still to address the major problems identified with its job evaluation scheme (JES) at the ongoing Employment Tribunal.
Why would anyone (including the unions) agree to tinker around the with JES when much bigger issues are being ignored?
So if you ask me, I would certainly insist that the Council fixes these problems and deals with people's outstanding equal pay claims before any further changes to the JES are proposed.
Here's the response from North Lanarkshire Council to my recent FoI request - seems that the Council spent £4,600 on external consultancy support, but if you ask me this was not money 'well spent' given recent developments at the Employment Tribunals where the Council's job evaluation scheme (JES) has been heavily criticised.
Two other points of interest, the first being that the Council's Head of Human Resources, Iris Wylie, signed off on the process and is still in her post to this day as far, as I know - and secondly that the trade unions were consulted over the Equality Impact Assessment back in 2006.
Which begs the question - 'How can the unions be considering further changes to the Council's JES without first of all addressing and fixing the problems that have been identified at the Employment Tribunal?'
Now if you ask me, that doesn't make any sense at all and really amounts to putting the cart in front of the horse.
Dear Mr Irvine
Request for Information
I refer again to your e-mail of 18 April 2014 seeking information in relation to an equality impact assessment carried out by North Lanarkshire Council in 2006 for the Job Evaluation Scheme.
Having investigated, my response to your three enquiries is as follows:-
(a) I regret to advise you that there is no separate cost for this specific piece of work and in terms of Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 I must advise you that the information sought is not held.
By way of some explanation, the Consultant that carried out this work was also commissioned to carry out other tasks, including training on job evaluation. An invoice dated 31 March 2006 to the value of £4,598 was submitted for consultancy support in March 2006.
(b) Iris Wylie, Head of Personnel Services now Head of Human Resources.
(c) Unison, TGWU (now Unite the Union) and GMB for the period March to June 2006.
I can advise that North Lanarkshire Council, having regard to the provisions of Section 21 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, has established a procedure whereby any person who has requested information and is in any way dissatisfied with the decision on that request, can within forty working days require a review of that decision by writing to the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB. Accordingly, if you are dissatisfied with this decision and seek such review please write to the Executive Director of Corporate Services.
I would advise, also, that in terms of Section 47 of the Act a person who is dissatisfied with a notice given by the local authority under Section 21 of the Act - ie. a notice following a review of a decision by a local authority, or by the failure of a local authority to give such a notice - may make application to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether, in any respect specified in that application, the request for information to which the requirement relates has been dealt with in accordance with the Act. Such an application must be in writing or in another form which, by reason of it having some permanency is capable of being used for subsequent reference - for example a recording made in audio or video tape - must state the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence and must specify the request for information to which the requirement for review relates, the matter which gave rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the original decision of the local authority and the matter which gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the decision on review by the local authority or the failure of the local authority to issue such a decision. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted as follows:-
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St. Andrew’s
KY16 9DSI hope this information is sufficient for your purpose. If, however, you require further information – or I can assist in any other way – please let me know.
Yours sincerely
Neil McKay
Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
Legal Services
North Lanarkshire Council
18 April 2014
Gavin Whitefield
Dear Mr Whitefield
So if you ask me, I would certainly insist that the Council fixes these problems and deals with people's outstanding equal pay claims before any further changes to the JES are proposed.
Carts and Horses (21 May 2014)
Here's the response from North Lanarkshire Council to my recent FoI request - seems that the Council spent £4,600 on external consultancy support, but if you ask me this was not money 'well spent' given recent developments at the Employment Tribunals where the Council's job evaluation scheme (JES) has been heavily criticised.
Two other points of interest, the first being that the Council's Head of Human Resources, Iris Wylie, signed off on the process and is still in her post to this day as far, as I know - and secondly that the trade unions were consulted over the Equality Impact Assessment back in 2006.
Which begs the question - 'How can the unions be considering further changes to the Council's JES without first of all addressing and fixing the problems that have been identified at the Employment Tribunal?'
Now if you ask me, that doesn't make any sense at all and really amounts to putting the cart in front of the horse.
Dear Mr Irvine
Request for Information
I refer again to your e-mail of 18 April 2014 seeking information in relation to an equality impact assessment carried out by North Lanarkshire Council in 2006 for the Job Evaluation Scheme.
Having investigated, my response to your three enquiries is as follows:-
(a) I regret to advise you that there is no separate cost for this specific piece of work and in terms of Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 I must advise you that the information sought is not held.
By way of some explanation, the Consultant that carried out this work was also commissioned to carry out other tasks, including training on job evaluation. An invoice dated 31 March 2006 to the value of £4,598 was submitted for consultancy support in March 2006.
(b) Iris Wylie, Head of Personnel Services now Head of Human Resources.
(c) Unison, TGWU (now Unite the Union) and GMB for the period March to June 2006.
I can advise that North Lanarkshire Council, having regard to the provisions of Section 21 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, has established a procedure whereby any person who has requested information and is in any way dissatisfied with the decision on that request, can within forty working days require a review of that decision by writing to the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB. Accordingly, if you are dissatisfied with this decision and seek such review please write to the Executive Director of Corporate Services.
I would advise, also, that in terms of Section 47 of the Act a person who is dissatisfied with a notice given by the local authority under Section 21 of the Act - ie. a notice following a review of a decision by a local authority, or by the failure of a local authority to give such a notice - may make application to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether, in any respect specified in that application, the request for information to which the requirement relates has been dealt with in accordance with the Act. Such an application must be in writing or in another form which, by reason of it having some permanency is capable of being used for subsequent reference - for example a recording made in audio or video tape - must state the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence and must specify the request for information to which the requirement for review relates, the matter which gave rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the original decision of the local authority and the matter which gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the decision on review by the local authority or the failure of the local authority to issue such a decision. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted as follows:-
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St. Andrew’s
KY16 9DSI hope this information is sufficient for your purpose. If, however, you require further information – or I can assist in any other way – please let me know.
Yours sincerely
Neil McKay
Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
Legal Services
North Lanarkshire Council
FOI and NLC (20 April 2014)
I sent this Freedom of Information (FOI) request to North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) on Friday which speaks for itself really.
Because with the Council's job evaluation scheme and its pay arrangements in so much trouble I think there's big public interest in people knowing much more about the way these matters were handled back in 2006.
I will probably submit a few more FOI requests to NLC before this is all over and if readers have any suggestion to make, drop me a note at: markirvine@compuserve.com
Chief Executive
North Lanarkshire Council
BY E-MAIL TO: whitefieldg@northlan.gov.uk
Dear Mr Whitefield
FOISA Request
I would like to make the following request under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002.
I understand that North Lanarkshire Council carried out an 'Equality Impact Assessment' in 2006 in connection with the Council's job evaluation scheme and would be grateful for the following details regarding this matter:
a) the cost of conducting the exercise in terms of fees paid to an external adviser
b) the identity of the Council official who oversaw the process and signed-off its subsequent recommendations
c) the names of the trade unions who were consulted over the Equality Impact Assessment and the dates on which this consultation took place
I look forward to your reply and would be grateful if you could respond to me by e-mail to: markirvine@compuserve.com
Kind regards
Mark Irvine
