NLC Feedback

Readers in North Lanarkshire tell me that the local trade unions are trying to portray themselves in a positive light after the announcement that the Council has agreed to enter settlement talks over equal pay.

Now I don't mind this because Action 4 Equality Scotland (A4ES) is happy to work with anyone, including the unions, in an effort to resolve all the outstanding Employment Tribunal cases. 

But regular readers will be well aware that the unions have a terrible track record over equal pay, generally speaking, and have really been on the employers' side in many areas including next door South Lanarkshire Council, for example.

In North Lanarkshire, the trade unions were of course represented on the Job Evaluation Steering Group (JESG) which oversaw the introduction of new pay arrangements within the Council after a new job evaluation scheme (JES) was introduced in 2006.

The unions were also consulted over the Equality Impact Assessment carried out by the Council which was supposed to identify any problems or deficiencies with the JES, but failed miserably to protect the interests of the various jobs done mainly by women - so quite how did that happen?

And, of course, the trade unions were also aware of the pay arrangements which flowed from the JES and which ended up treating the Council's male jobs which ended much more favourably than their female colleagues.

So the trade unions have much to be modest about if you ask me.

And the best thing to do now is to keep the focus firmly on the Council and its botched JES until there are firm proposals on the table for putting things to right.