North Lanarkshire Update
A kind reader has sent me a photo of the Labour politician John Pentland posing for a picture after meeting residents at one of North Lanarkshire's sheltered housing complexes.
Now John is the 'sitting' MSP for the seat of Motherwell and Wishaw and he's also a former senior Labour councillor in North Lanarkshire Council, so he knows what's going on locally.
According to this report in the Wishaw Press John had a lively discussion while out on the election campaign and he told the local newspaper:
"Everybody had a keen interest in the election.
"We had a lively discussion about health, education and local services, but the discussion was not restricted to the devolved issues that are officially part of the Scottish Parliament election campaign"
As regular readers know the Sheltered Housing Wardens who support and look after the residents in these housing complexes have been battling Labour-run North Lanarkshire Council for many months over their pay and grades.
The Council has been insisting that the Sheltered Housing Wardens jobs are not of 'equal value' to a unskilled council gardener which is a remarkable thing to say if you ask me, knowing the duties and responsibilities of both jobs as I do.
My mother lived in one of these sheltered housing complexes in the last years of her life (albeit not in North Lanarkshire) so I know full well what a great support and help the wardens are to their residents.
But I haven't heard John Pentland or the other Labour politicians in North Lanarkshire speaking up on their behalf during the long dispute with the local Labour-run council over equal pay, which school Clerical Assistants and Classroom Assistants are party to as well.
A further hearing is scheduled at the Employment Tribunals unless North Lanarkshire Council comes to its senses and settles these cases before 27 April 2016.
The Wishaw Press
NLC Update(24/03/16
The recent tribunal hearing involving North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) seems to have made some real progress in resolving the outstanding 'First Wave' equal pay claims of Sheltered Housing Wardens, Clerical Assistants and Classroom Assistants.
As regular readers know, the Council has been arguing for many months that these female dominated jobs are not of 'equal value' to the earnings enjoyed by traditional male jobs (e.g. refuse workers and gardeners) which have been chosen as 'comparators'.
But the Council seems to be backing away from that position and while a further Employment Tribunal hearing has been set for 27 April 2016 the Council now appears willing to negotiate a settlement on behalf of these claimants which would be a great victory for common sense.
Discussions will continue over the next few weeks and with a bit of luck the tribunal hearing scheduled for April will not be necessary, although as the old saying goes 'until everything is agreed, nothing is agreed'.
So there's still a real possibility that these outstanding cases will end up back in front of an Employment Judge for an adjudicated decision.
In other words, fingers crossed and watch this space for more news.
NLC Update (10/03/16)
Date - Tuesday 15th March
Time - 10 am
Venue - Eagle Building, 215 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 7TS
Labour-run North Lanarkshire Council will continue at this hearing to make the case that Sheltered Housing Wardens, Clerical Assistants and Classroom Assistants jobs are not of equal value to traditional male jobs such as Gardener (2) and a council Refuse Collector.
Little wonder if you ask me that so many NLC workers are completely disillusioned at the way Scotland's fourth largest council is being run.
The recent tribunal hearing involving A4ES and North Lanarkshire Council (on behalf of Sheltered Housing Wardens, Clerical Workers and Classroom Assistants) did not resolve the various issues that are still in dispute.
However the Employment Judge did set dates for a full hearing in May 2016 which could last, potentially, up to ten days.
In the meantime the Council has been ordered to specify its defences to the claim that these female dominated jobs are not of 'equal value' to their male comparators.
Sounds crazy, I know, North Lanarkshire is persisting with the argument that a Gardener 2 was rated and paid more highly than a Sheltered Housing Warden (SHW), quite properly according to Council bosses.
Despite the fact that under NLC's 2006 job evaluation scheme (JES) the female SHW job was awarded new NLC Grade 6 while the male Gardener 2 was awarded the lower NLC Grade 5.
So how does that work? - I ask myself.
Because it seems to me, the higher graded female job (whose duties never changed by the way) cannot at any time have been worth less than the lower graded male job - unless we're all living in some kind of equal pay version of Alice in Wonderland.
Any sensible council would have settled these issues a long time ago and goodness knows A4ES has proposed settlement talks, but the Council leadership in North Lanarkshire has dug its heels in, not for the first time, which means that the ongoing fight for equal pay will remain a major issue in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2016.
Because the review of NLC jobs (which was supposed to be completed by the end of 2015) is still outstanding and if this is not done quickly and satisfactorily, thousands of equal pay claims from Council Home Carers could end up back in the Employment Tribunals along with those from Sheltered Housing Wardens, Clerical Workers and Classroom Assistants.
I'll have more to say on the subject soon, but it looks as though things are gearing up for a major new campaign in North Lanarkshire over the next few months.
So watch this space.
Tomorrow's tribunal hearing in Glasgow is about North Lanarkshire Council's stubborn refusal to accept that female dominated jobs (Sheltered Housing Warden, Clerical Worker and Classroom Assistant) are not of equal value to their chosen male comparators - a council Refuse Collector and Gardener (2).
I'm sure readers will be amazed, possibly even insulted, to learn that North Lanarkshire was arguing that a Sheltered Housing Warden (SHW), a job which clearly carries enormous responsibility, deserved to be graded and paid considerably less than a council Refuse Collector.
SHWs are now comparing themselves to a Gardener (2) because their jobs were raised from NLC Grade 3 to NLC Grade 6 under the Council's new job evaluation scheme (JES) back in 2006/07 - while the old Gardener (2) job was placed on NLC Grade 5.
So it seems like an open and shut case given that the tribunal has already ruled that the Wardens' duties did not changed, in which case how can a job on NLC Grade 6 not be of equal value to a council Gardener on the lower NLC Grade 5?
Seems like yet another terrible waste of taxpayers' money if you ask me, and from a supposedly cash-strapped Labour-run council which has been making a complete dog's dinner of equal pay for the past 10 years.
NLC Update (28/01/16)
However the Employment Judge did set dates for a full hearing in May 2016 which could last, potentially, up to ten days.
In the meantime the Council has been ordered to specify its defences to the claim that these female dominated jobs are not of 'equal value' to their male comparators.
Sounds crazy, I know, North Lanarkshire is persisting with the argument that a Gardener 2 was rated and paid more highly than a Sheltered Housing Warden (SHW), quite properly according to Council bosses.
Despite the fact that under NLC's 2006 job evaluation scheme (JES) the female SHW job was awarded new NLC Grade 6 while the male Gardener 2 was awarded the lower NLC Grade 5.
So how does that work? - I ask myself.
Because it seems to me, the higher graded female job (whose duties never changed by the way) cannot at any time have been worth less than the lower graded male job - unless we're all living in some kind of equal pay version of Alice in Wonderland.
Any sensible council would have settled these issues a long time ago and goodness knows A4ES has proposed settlement talks, but the Council leadership in North Lanarkshire has dug its heels in, not for the first time, which means that the ongoing fight for equal pay will remain a major issue in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2016.
Because the review of NLC jobs (which was supposed to be completed by the end of 2015) is still outstanding and if this is not done quickly and satisfactorily, thousands of equal pay claims from Council Home Carers could end up back in the Employment Tribunals along with those from Sheltered Housing Wardens, Clerical Workers and Classroom Assistants.
I'll have more to say on the subject soon, but it looks as though things are gearing up for a major new campaign in North Lanarkshire over the next few months.
So watch this space.
NLC Update (21?01/16)
I'm sure readers will be amazed, possibly even insulted, to learn that North Lanarkshire was arguing that a Sheltered Housing Warden (SHW), a job which clearly carries enormous responsibility, deserved to be graded and paid considerably less than a council Refuse Collector.
SHWs are now comparing themselves to a Gardener (2) because their jobs were raised from NLC Grade 3 to NLC Grade 6 under the Council's new job evaluation scheme (JES) back in 2006/07 - while the old Gardener (2) job was placed on NLC Grade 5.
So it seems like an open and shut case given that the tribunal has already ruled that the Wardens' duties did not changed, in which case how can a job on NLC Grade 6 not be of equal value to a council Gardener on the lower NLC Grade 5?
Seems like yet another terrible waste of taxpayers' money if you ask me, and from a supposedly cash-strapped Labour-run council which has been making a complete dog's dinner of equal pay for the past 10 years.
Watch this space.
