Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

I said the other that that I was overwhelmed with enquiries about North Lanarkshire Council's late-running job evaluation (JE) review. Not just that, I also explained that I was unable to answer most of these queries because the Council's senior management and the local trade unions are the 'architects' of the latest JE exercise - not Action 4 Equality Scotland (A4ES). A4ES is attempting to clarify various issues with the Council, but so far at least the Council has been unable or unwilling to explain important aspects of the JE Review. The efforts to get some sense out of North Lanarkshire Council will continue and any news will be reported on the blog site. In the meantime, individual employees who are being given the run around may wish to drop a note to the Council's chief executive Paul Jukes who can be contacted at the following email address:  jukesp@northlan.gov.uk For the avoidance of any doubt equal pay claimants w...

Here's the advice that Unison is apparently issuing to Home Care members in North Lanarkshire regarding the outcome of the Council's late-running job evaluation (JE) review. "Our branch secretary informed us this morning that when job re-evaluation takes place employees are automatically placed at the bottom of the pay grade they are upgraded to. "This would result in spinal column 22 if no equal pay claim was made or spinal column 23 if an equal pay claim was processed, applicable to grade 7."  Now I find this very peculiar for the following reasons: The Council is the employer and senior managers in NLC should be taking responsibility for explaining these issues to employees The grades involved are not new grades and many of the equivalent male comparator jobs have been at their top of their respective pay scales for years No such 'rule' about re-evaluation exists and the unions ought to be standing up for their members interests instead of a...

A kind reader has been in touch to say that has received an explanation, of sorts at least, from her trade union about the new grades arising from the late-running NLC job evaluation (JE) review   and where people are being placed on their new pay scales.  Apparently, the trade unions' position is that employees are automatically placed at the bottom of the appropriate spinal column, if their job is upgraded following a JE exercise. Now I haven't seen this advice as yet, but the whole point about the recent job evaluation in North Lanarkshire is that the latest JE Review is intended to correct the mess that was made last time around in 2006/07. So  these are not really 'new' grades in the normal sense of the word, but grades that should have been in place many years ago. In which case putting people to the bottom of the pay scale is not the right thing to do, if you ask me.

The trade unions in North Lanarkshire have shown their willingness in recent weeks to act as a mouthpiece for the Council, as this post on the future of the Home Care services demonstrates only too well.  Days later the unions issue a joint press release with North Lanarkshire extolling the virtues of the late-running job evaluation (JE) review, yet the full details of this review have still not been released and the workforce remains firmly in the dark. Strange days indeed and ordinary union members could be forgiven for asking what they are paying their union dues for, especially when the level of service and support  is so poor. NLC Update (27/05/16) A kind reader from North Lanarkshire sent me the following statement which has appeared on the Facebook page of the local Unison branch. HOME SUPPORT MEMBERS "in light of recent concerns over the future of home support, the bench asked the council to clarify its position on privatisation...

Lots of readers from North Lanarkshire have been in touch to ask where they stand (what they stand to lose), if the Council tries to stop them receiving any backpay that may be due from the late-running job evaluation (JE) scheme.   Now I don't know is the honest answer because over a week after the Council and the trade unions announced that a 'deal' had been done everyone, especially the workforce, is still in the dark as to what this really means. Which is an incredible state of affairs if you ask me and instead of clapping each other on the back, you would think that the Council would immediately release full details of the JE review so that people can see the proposals for themselves. But that hasn't happened and the trade unions seems to be dancing to the Council's tune instead of standing up for the right of their members to know what is going on. The backpay that would be due under any upgrading depends on the difference in pay (if any) between som...

Here's an omnishambles of a press conference presided over by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his official spokesperson, Seamus Milne. If you ask me it's little wonder Labour MPs have passed a massive vote of confidence in Jeremy because on all the available evidence he's simply not up to the job. Labour's Inspector Clouseau (24/06/16) I wrote this post about Jeremy Corbyn before the great EU referendum, but there is no doubt in my mind now that Jezza really is the Labour Party's answer to Inspector Clouseau.  If you ask me, David Cameron has done the right thing by resigning as Prime Minister and his motivation, in part at least, must come from the fact that as far as the Conservative Party is concerned the 'lunatics' have taken over the asylum. But the problem for the Labour Party is that this penny has still to drop.  'Bog Standard' Officials (24/06/16) I was unfazed one way or the other by Jeremy Corbyn's ...

Alex Salmond's Westminster portfolio seems to know no bounds as the SNP's foreign affairs spokesperson offers his words on wisdom on the Labour leadership debacle. Now it's no surprise that Alex Salmond would hope that Jeremy Corbyn clings on as party leader because that's the best way of ensuring there is no chance of a Labour revival north and south of the border. When he was elected Labour leader Jeremy famously claimed that he would 'win back Scotland' and 'see off' the UKIP challenge in Labour's heartlands, yet he has failed miserably on both counts. So the longer he stays where he is the better the prospects for the the SNP and Tory 'ultras'. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14583184.Labour_resignations_a__disgusting__organised_coup___says_Alex_Salmond/ Labour resignations a 'disgusting, organised coup', says Alex Salmond Labour resignations a 'disgusting, organised coup', says Alex Salmond The mass r...

I sent an email to Boris Johnson during the referendum campaign over his comments about the EU restricting people from buying banana in bunches of more than 'two or three' at a time. Not as damaging as other ludicrous claims to do with a pain-free Brexit or a huge cash boost for the NHS, but two weeks on I'm still waiting on  a reply. No wonder people get fed up with politics and politicians. -----Original Message----- From: Mark Irvine To: boris.johnson.mp Sent: Thu, Jun 9, 2016 12:09 pm Subject: Banana Comments and the European Union Dear Boris Banana   Comments and the European Union As one of the key figures in the Leave Campaign to take the UK out of the European Union, I would be grateful if you could clarify your thoughts on bananas before polling day on 23 June 2016. I have say that I was completely taken aback by your comments about being unable to buy bananas in "bunches ...