Schoolboy Error
I had a good laugh at this recent article in The Herald which reports on a dispute between Unison and Glasgow City Council over bonus payment, or rather the lack of them, for some staff working during the Commonwealth Games.
Now forgive me for intruding on private grief, but I don't really see much of a case for paying just some staff a 'bonus' because Glasgow is buzzing with so many people enjoying the spectacle of the Games.
Sure, employ more staff where necessary, even for a limited time, but extra bonus payments for the few - what's that all about?
Makes about as much sense as people like me who live in the city centre demanding a big rebate on my council tax to compensate for all the noise and disruption, instead of enjoying and celebrating the fact that Glasgow and Scotland are on the world stage - and doing so well thank you very much.
And as for Unison calling off planned industrial action after a legal challenge by Glasgow Life and the City Council - that's seems like a schoolboy error to me because how could the union fail to ballot its own 'manager' members?
Lots of managers are Unison members as the regional secretary, Mike Kirby, knows full well having been a big cheese in the union's Glasgow branch and previously 'stepped out' with Iris Wylie, now the Head of Human Resources at North Lanarkshire Council.
So the involvement of managers, some of them very senior of course, is nothing new and ought not to have been overlooked in the way suggested by The Herald.
Anyway let's hope thins have moved on and that these silly protests have been called off because they make the union and the city look ridiculous, if you ask me.
Council vows to block Games bonus row protests
WORKERS and Scotland's largest council are on a collision course amid a threat of court action to stop potential protests over Commonwealth Games bonus payments.
Glasgow City Council said two protests by Unison members employed by the trust, which runs its municipal sports and cultural facilities were illegal, adding it would seeking an interdict to halt it.
The protest by Glasgow Life staff outside the Kelvingrove Museum, one of the country's main tourist attractions, is scheduled to be followed by a second at the City Chambers tomorrow.
But with both planned to take place in the full glare of tourists in town for the Games, Glasgow City Council, which ultimately controls Glasgow Life, has written to Unison, instructing it to call off the protest.
Unison has denied any illegality. One prominent official stated: "The union is perfectly entitled to organise protests outside of working hours. That is what it is doing."
The move comes after Unison called off planned industrial action, including possible strikes at Games venues, on Monday after a legal challenge to its ballot by Glasgow Life and the city council.
It is understood managers who were Unison members were not balloted, which prompted the challenge. Unions had claimed staff faced with working overtime, early morning and late evening shifts will receive no more than their flat rate of pay, with the only sweetener an early finish on Christmas Eve.
Accusing the council of using "Tory anti-trade union legislation", it instead organised the two protests, instructing members to attend in their own time.
But yesterday, the city council's legal manager wrote to Unison's Scottish secretary Mike Kirby stating the authority viewed the protests as illegal, adding: "The protest is picketing within the meaning of section 220 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
"The industrial action has been called by Unison but does not have the support of a ballot as required by section 226 of TULRCA 1992. The proposed action is unprotected.
"In so far as you are calling upon employees who do not normally work at Kelvingrove Museum, your action is unlawful. In so far as you are calling upon more that six members to protest, your proposed action is a breach of the Code of Practice on Picketing.
"In so far as you are proposing to picket the City Chambers, the action is unlawful as it is not the normal place of work of any of those called upon to participate in the action."
One council source said the interdict threat was not solely about its image during the Games' first few days, claiming: "We're simply sick of them. It's Unison looking to use the Games to give their picket some leverage."
But Mr Kirby said: "This is not correct. The union is quite clear that members should take part in the protests in their own time, i.e. not during their working hours. As such, there is no inducement of those members to breach their contracts of employment. No immunity, as provided for by the industrial action legislation, is therefore required."
Meanwhile, First Glasgow engineers have accepted a pay award amounting to 3.5 per cent over two years, removing any threat of industrial action.
Managing director of First Glasgow, Fiona Kerr, said: "I'm delighted to say that our preparations for Glasgow 2014 are complete.
We're now looking forward to playing a major part in the largest multi-sport event Scotland has ever seen."
Iris Wylie, as the North Lanarkshire's Head of Personnel, is one of the key figures in what has been going on within the Council in recent years - in terms of Single Status, Equal Pay and Job Evaluation.
I asked readers in North Lanarkshire for help the other day.
I wanted to know if people could help trace the background to the controversial North Lanarkshire Council bonus scheme - which has hit the newspaper headlines recently.
The one that seems to be restricted to only the most senior and highly paid officials - as far as anyone knows.
I asked readers if a reference (HR/IW) on the previously secret document - which has been dragged out of the council via an FOI request - might provide a clue.
Since then readers' suggestions have been flying in by e-mail and they all point in the same direction - that HR stands for Human Resources - and that IW stands for Iris Wylie, the council's Head of Human Resources.
Now that would make sense - why didn't I think of it before?
Because the name Iris Wylie is on the list as receiving a top-up or bonus payment of £5,758.56 - and HR is the obvious area of the council from which to seek advice on pay issues.
So who knows for sure?
Maybe the council will explain the background properly and publicly - or maybe Iris Wylie will get in touch directly and fill in some of the the gaps in people's knowledge - which I'm happy to publish on the blog site.
I first met Iris Wylie years ago - but haven't seen her in the flesh for some time.
The last occasion I remember seeing Iris was at the Scottish TUC in Glasgow in 1999 - when she was 'stepping out' - so to speak - with the Scottish Convener of Unison, Mike Kirby.
Mike has since moved on from his role as convener and stepped up - so to speak - to become the union's regional secretary in Scotland - a full-time paid official in other words.
Iris and Mike are both mentioned in a previous post to the blog site - one of the earliest posts in fact - going all the way back to April 2007.
So it all just goes to show what a small world it really is - though that doesn't help to explain why a Labour council - yes a Labour council - would introduce a secret incentive pay scheme - or a bonus scheme for those at the top, as I think it should be called.
Especially one that rewards only the most senior council officials - and appears to exclude the vast majority of the workforce - many of whom are very low paid of course - and many of whom are still fighting for equal pay.
No wonder people are so cynical about politics and politicans these days - and that includes the politics of local government.
Good to Talk (15 March 2014)
As I've pointed out to readers in previous posts, Iris Wylie is well connected in terms of the politics of equal pay, having previously been the partner of Mike Kirby, the long-time convener of Unison in Scotland and now the union's regional secretary.
Now I don't know if Iris and Mike are still on speaking terms, but what I do know is that the situation is North Lanarkshire Council is a disgrace, if you ask me, and that someone, somewhere must surely accept responsibility for the complete hash the Council has managed to make of things.
As ever, I am prepared to let bygones be bygones, for the greater good so to speak, because the important issue now is the shabby way the Council's low paid workers (mainly women of course) have been treated, and how that situation is going to be put right.
So if Iris Wylie and/or Mike Kirby would like to meet up with me to see what can be done, then I for one would be happy do so - I'm sure it would be good to talk even after all these years.
Small World (1 April 2012)
I asked readers in North Lanarkshire for help the other day.
I wanted to know if people could help trace the background to the controversial North Lanarkshire Council bonus scheme - which has hit the newspaper headlines recently.
The one that seems to be restricted to only the most senior and highly paid officials - as far as anyone knows.
I asked readers if a reference (HR/IW) on the previously secret document - which has been dragged out of the council via an FOI request - might provide a clue.
Since then readers' suggestions have been flying in by e-mail and they all point in the same direction - that HR stands for Human Resources - and that IW stands for Iris Wylie, the council's Head of Human Resources.
Now that would make sense - why didn't I think of it before?
Because the name Iris Wylie is on the list as receiving a top-up or bonus payment of £5,758.56 - and HR is the obvious area of the council from which to seek advice on pay issues.
So who knows for sure?
Maybe the council will explain the background properly and publicly - or maybe Iris Wylie will get in touch directly and fill in some of the the gaps in people's knowledge - which I'm happy to publish on the blog site.
I first met Iris Wylie years ago - but haven't seen her in the flesh for some time.
The last occasion I remember seeing Iris was at the Scottish TUC in Glasgow in 1999 - when she was 'stepping out' - so to speak - with the Scottish Convener of Unison, Mike Kirby.
Mike has since moved on from his role as convener and stepped up - so to speak - to become the union's regional secretary in Scotland - a full-time paid official in other words.
Iris and Mike are both mentioned in a previous post to the blog site - one of the earliest posts in fact - going all the way back to April 2007.
So it all just goes to show what a small world it really is - though that doesn't help to explain why a Labour council - yes a Labour council - would introduce a secret incentive pay scheme - or a bonus scheme for those at the top, as I think it should be called.
Especially one that rewards only the most senior council officials - and appears to exclude the vast majority of the workforce - many of whom are very low paid of course - and many of whom are still fighting for equal pay.
No wonder people are so cynical about politics and politicans these days - and that includes the politics of local government.
