North Lanarkshire Update
I am not sure, at this stage, if I can get along to the Glasgow Employment Tribunal on Monday (30 November 2015) which is due to hear arguments about amending the equal pay claims of GMB members in North Lanarkshire Council.
As union members, and regular readers know, the GMB bizarrely restricted their members claims to only three years unlike all the other claimant organisations and an operation is now underway to dig the GMB out of a great big hole of its own making.
North Lanarkshire Council is apparently opposing moves to amend these equal pay claims, presumably on the basis that the GMB can't play the whole match by one set of rules and complain about the result after the 'final whistle' has blown.
So it will be interesting to hear how these arguments play out and what the tribunal has to say. If any GMB members are going along the hearing, let me know as I'd be interested in getting some feedback - in confidence, of course.
Keep your eyes on Twitter for further news.
North Lanarkshire Update (06/11/15)
The latest report I read came from Digby Brown solicitors who have now been ditched by the GMB, but not much else appear to be happening by way of information from the GMB or from the union's new legal advisers.
The GMB members involved are now several months behind all the other claimants and as things stand their equal pay claims are still restricted to only three years which is a real scandal, if you ask me.
NLC Update (07/10/15)
A kind reader from North Lanarkshire has passed on the following update regarding the outstanding GMB 'Second Wave' claims, i.e. claims that the GMB union restricted to only 3 years unlike all the other claimant organisations including Action 4 Equality Scotland, Unison and Unite.
Apparently, this information comes from the GMB's external solicitors, Digby Brown, and readers will be interested to learn that the Employment Tribunal has now set a date of 30 November 2015 to hear the GMB's arguments in favour of amending the restricted '3-year case' which the union originally registered with the tribunals.
I understand that North Lanarkshire Council is opposing the Amendment, possibly on the grounds that the GMB has had plenty of opportunity while the case was still 'live' within the Employment Tribunal to change amend its pleadings (but failed to do so) and to allow this now would be the equivalent of complaining about the result of a football match after the referee has blown the final whistle.
Second Wave
Following upon the meeting on Tuesday First September 2015 with some members in this council various issues were discussed at a meeting with GMB Scotland on Third September 2015.
The question of which i what to do with members who have either not claimed at all or appear to have previously missed out on making a claim was discussed. No final decision has been taken regarding this group. However, GMB will be writing to members about this matter
very shortly.
It was further agreed that as the Amendment procedure is ongoing for existing claimants that process will require to be concluded.
The Employment Tribunal has now set down a date for a hearing regarding the Amendment. This hearing will take place on 30th November 2015 at 10am at the Glasgow Employment Tribunal.
In any event the Glasgow hearing will take place in public, so I'm sure there will be a good attendance of GMB members.
In fact, come to think of surely GMB members are entitled to see the written case that the union has submitted to the Employment Tribunal because there's been precious little hard information provided by the GMB up until now.
