North Lanarkshire News
A number of readers have been in touch to ask if I have any updates about the length of time councils are taking to revise their equal pay settlements, so that these can be paid on a pensionable basis.
Now I know that the A4ES office is regularly chasing up the councils involved and in North Lanarkshire, for example, the answer is always that they are doing their best and working though a big backlog of requests.
If you ask me, this is just so much nonsense and North Lanarkshire Council ought to be thoroughly ashamed of itself.
What I would encourage folks to do is to register a formal complaint with their council's chief executive and then ask for the support of their local MSP in getting this issue resolved.
I'll draft a letter to North Lanarkshire which people can adapt for use in that area and others, as necessary, if they are being given the run around and fobbed off by council bureaucrats.
A4ES will continue to do what it can to put pressure on councils, but its time for a bit of self-help and to enlist the help of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).
So watch this space because I'll publish something on the blog site in the next few days.
North Lanarkshire News (19/03/17)
A reader from North Lanarkshire has been in touch to ask if I have any update about requests from equal pay claimants in NLC to have their equal pay settlements paid on a pensionable basis.
I'm afraid I don't because this is a matter for North Lanarkshire Council to resolve though my understanding is that the Council has agreed to do so 'as soon as possible' and is currently working its way through the backlog of individual requests.
So the best thing to do would be to email the Council and ask for a progress report on your individual request and for an end date when the task will be completed.
If you feel the Council is dragging its feet, then start 'rocking the boat' by complaining and involving your local North Lanarkshire MSP and/or MP who, I imagine, will be only too willing to help and hold the council to account.
I've published the details of all North Lanarkshire MSPs and MPs on the blog site previously.