North Lanarkshire
I get emails on a daily basis from people asking how they can play their part in the ongoing battle with North Lanarkshire Council over equal pay.
Well publicity is a great weapon, particularly in the run-up to the next Scottish Parliament elections which will be held in May 2016 and this whole business in North Lanarkshire has been dragging on for far too long - 16 years in the case of First Wave NLC claimants whose cases have still to be settled.
So if you ask me for a good way of getting a strong message across to the powers that be, I would go straight to the top and write directly to Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who had these interesting words to say about 'foot-dragging' councils at FMQs in the Scottish Parliament last year.
First Minister's Questions (FMQs) - Equal Pay
4. Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride) (SNP):
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government considers needs to be taken to fully realise the objectives of the Equal Pay Act 1970. (S4F-03058)
The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon):
On Monday, we marked equal pay day, which is the point in the year when many women start essentially working for nothing for the rest of the year, because women on average continue to earn less than men. It is a complete and utter disgrace that, despite the Equal Pay Act 1970 having been passed 45 years ago—in the year I was born, in fact—we still do not have equal pay in this country. The Scottish Government is seeking to lead by example. We have made tackling the gender pay gap a priority in our programme for government, we are working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to tackle pregnancy-related and maternity-related discrimination, and we continue to promote fair work practices and to extend childcare. I take the opportunity to call on all organisations and businesses to take action on the issue so that we end pay inequality in Scotland once and for all.
On Monday, we marked equal pay day, which is the point in the year when many women start essentially working for nothing for the rest of the year, because women on average continue to earn less than men. It is a complete and utter disgrace that, despite the Equal Pay Act 1970 having been passed 45 years ago—in the year I was born, in fact—we still do not have equal pay in this country. The Scottish Government is seeking to lead by example. We have made tackling the gender pay gap a priority in our programme for government, we are working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to tackle pregnancy-related and maternity-related discrimination, and we continue to promote fair work practices and to extend childcare. I take the opportunity to call on all organisations and businesses to take action on the issue so that we end pay inequality in Scotland once and for all.
Linda Fabiani:
Does the First Minister agree that local authorities in which the same political party has been in office for years, such as South Lanarkshire Council, have no excuse at all not to have settled equal pay claims on a fair and equitable basis? Does she realise that some of the claims date back for many years and continue to cause stress and strife among hard-working constituents in East Kilbride and elsewhere?
Does the First Minister agree that local authorities in which the same political party has been in office for years, such as South Lanarkshire Council, have no excuse at all not to have settled equal pay claims on a fair and equitable basis? Does she realise that some of the claims date back for many years and continue to cause stress and strife among hard-working constituents in East Kilbride and elsewhere?
The First Minister:
Ministers have repeatedly made clear—I do so again unequivocally today—that the delays by councils in settling equal pay claims are completely unacceptable. As Linda Fabiani said, many of the claims go back to 2006—even further, in some cases. There can be absolutely no justification for taking so long to resolve the issue. Some progress has been made recently—for example, the settlement of claims against Fife Council—but much more work needs to be done. Equal pay cases need to be progressed with urgency and commitment so that those who are affected receive their legal entitlements. The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment has written to all 32 local authorities to reiterate the Government’s desire for more and faster progress, and to seek information on the number of claims that have been settled and the number that are still outstanding for each council.
In my view, North Lanarkshire Council should be throughly ashamed of its behaviour in relation to equal pay and what's needed now is an independently-led inquiry into how the political leadership of the Council and its senior officials have made such a terrible mess of their pay arrangements for all these years.
Readers can contact the First Minister via the following email address which I would mark for the attention of Nicola Sturgeon: scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
I would also send a copy of any letter to Nicola Sturgeon to your own local MSP asking for their comments and support.
Ministers have repeatedly made clear—I do so again unequivocally today—that the delays by councils in settling equal pay claims are completely unacceptable. As Linda Fabiani said, many of the claims go back to 2006—even further, in some cases. There can be absolutely no justification for taking so long to resolve the issue. Some progress has been made recently—for example, the settlement of claims against Fife Council—but much more work needs to be done. Equal pay cases need to be progressed with urgency and commitment so that those who are affected receive their legal entitlements. The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment has written to all 32 local authorities to reiterate the Government’s desire for more and faster progress, and to seek information on the number of claims that have been settled and the number that are still outstanding for each council.
In my view, North Lanarkshire Council should be throughly ashamed of its behaviour in relation to equal pay and what's needed now is an independently-led inquiry into how the political leadership of the Council and its senior officials have made such a terrible mess of their pay arrangements for all these years.
Readers can contact the First Minister via the following email address which I would mark for the attention of Nicola Sturgeon: scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
I would also send a copy of any letter to Nicola Sturgeon to your own local MSP asking for their comments and support.
