North Lanarkshire Update

A number of GMB members in North Lanarkshire have been approaching local MPs and MSPs for support in resolving their equal pay claims.

Regular readers will recall that the GMB apparently restricted their members equal pay claims to only three years whereas all the other claimants, led by Action 4 Equality Scotland of course, challenged the Council's pay arrangements and the very basis of its job evaluation scheme (JES).

One of the MSPs concerned has received a response from North Lanarkshire Council which confirms their view of the situation as follows: 

"I can confirm, however, that the Council remains willing to meet the terms of the settlement offer made by the GMB.

"It has not been the case that there has been any form of discrimination against GMB members.  The GMB Claimants only challenge pay protection, unlike the other parties to the equal pay litigation who challenged the job evaluation process. 

"I trust that this clarifies the position.

Yours sincerely

"June Murray

Executive Director of Corporate Services"

In other words, the Council is simply responding to the case made by the GMB union which if you ask me, has handled the whole affair in the most appalling fashion.  

Now I've said before on the blog site that the GMB should step up to the plate and agree to compensate for any financial loss they incur as a result of the union restricting their claims in this ridiculous fashion.

Not least because the union members says they were not consulted by the GMB over this course of action and also because low paid union members should not be asked to pay for the GMB's mistakes, or incompetence in handling their claims.  

The next question is what will MSPs and MPs do armed with this knowledge, particularly the Labour MSPs many of whom have links with the trade unions and, quite possibly, the GMB in particular.