Glasgow Equal Pay News

Glasgow City Council failed to respond within 20 days to my FoI request which asked for anonymised pay information about  the practice of adding years to the 'leaving packages' of council employees, particularly those of senior officials.

Here's what the City Council had to say for itself in acknowledging my Review Request - the next step being an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC)

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - REVIEW

Thank you for contacting Glasgow City Council.  I acknowledge receipt of your recent correspondence dated 16 May 2017 requesting that the Council reviews its handling of your request for information in terms of the above Act.

I confirm that I am reviewing your request and shall notify you of the result within 20 working days of receipt of your request.

Yours faithfully

Carole Forrest

Director OF Governance and Solicitor to the Council

Now this is quite amazing, if you ask me.

Because there's not one word of apology or explanation from the City Council over its failure to observe the FOI legislation which requires a public body to respond to an FoI request within 20 working days

Now the officials overseeing the City Council's handling of FoI requests are paid handsome salaries, tens of thousands of pounds year, yet they can't do better than this shoddy service, apparently.

So as Glasgow City Council claims to be in favour of equal opportunities, freedom of information (FoI) and good governance, I thinkI'll send a copy of this post to the new council leader, Cllr Susan Aitken. 

  

Glasgow's Pay Arrangements (16/05/17)

Glasgow City Council is getting very sloppy with its handling of FoI requests, in my experience anyway.

Because yet again I've had to submit a formal Review Request to force the City Council to get its finger out and provide and answer my original FoI request.

Here's my latest letter to the council's chief executive Annemarie O'Donnell - so much for open, transparent and efficient local government! 

If the City Council fails to respond, my next step will be to submit yet another appeal to the independent Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC). 

  

16 May 2017

Annemarie O'Donnell

Chief Executive

Glasgow City Council

Dear Ms O'Donnell

FOISA Review Request

I refer to my letter dated 12 April 2017.

In view of the City Council's failure to respond within the 20 day time limit laid down by FOISA 2002, I would now like to submit a formal Review Request.  

I look forward to your reply and would be grateful if you could respond to me by e-mail at: markirvine@compuserve.com

Kind regards

Mark Irvine 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Irvine 
To: annemarie.odonnell ; foi 
Sent: Wed, Apr 12, 2017 12:45 pm
Subject: FOISA Request

Flat 8/1

90 London Road

Glasgow

G1 5DE

12 April 2017

Annemarie O'Donnell

Chief Executive

Glasgow City Council

By email to - annemarie.odonnell@ced.glasgow.gov.uk

Dear Ms O'Donnell

FOISA Request

I would like to make the following request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

1 Please confirm the total number of Glasgow City Council employees who have been awarded 'added years' in respect of the council's policy on redundancy and retirement provisions in each of the following years?

• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016

2 Please confirm how many of the employees involved in each year were chief officials?

3 Please confirm the total cost of these 'added years' awards to the public purse?

4 Please confirm how much of the total cost has been incurred as the result of awards to chief officials?

I look forward to your reply and would be grateful if you could respond to me by email at: markirvine@compuserve.com

Kind regards

Mark Irvine