Breaking News!
A group of Home Carers from Glasgow got in touch with me last week to suggest that we find a way of enlisting the support of Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, in the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council.
"Now that's a good idea", I said to myself at the time.
Because Nicola is a local Glasgow MSP, of course, and in the past has spoken out as First Minister about the need for Scottish local councils to stop dragging their feet and settle all the outstanding cases.
So, I have drafted a petition with the aim of using this to build support amongst the Council workforce and the wider public.
Visit the blog site tomorrow to find out what the petition is all about and what you can do to help in the ongoing campaign in Glasgow.
The Fight for Equal Pay (19/04/16)
The Herald reports that Nicola Sturgeon plans to get tough with council bosses who are dragging their feet over equal pay, if she is re-elected in next month's Scottish Parliament elections and returns as First Minister.
Now that's a welcome development if you ask me, because I've been campaigning for months for the Scottish Government to take an active interest in the terrible mess that many Scottish councils have made of their pay arrangements and obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
I can't be the only person to find it ironic that Scotland's First Minister 'in-waiting' delivered her message to the STUC because, as regular readers know, the trade unions have been part of the problem in respect of equal pay with their slavish support for the Labour Party and Labour-run councils, along with their short-sighted focus on protecting the interests of traditional male jobs.
So who knows, maybe Nicola Sturgeon is keeping up with events bias the blog site which is all the more reason to step up the pressure on councils like Glasgow and North Lanarkshire to do the right thing, put an end to this sorry saga and resolve all of their outstanding equal pay claims.
Read the full piece in The Herald via the internet link below.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14435796.Nicola_Sturgeon_vows_to_get_tough_with_council_chiefs_over_pay_equality_for_women/
Nicola Sturgeon vows to get tough with council bosses over pay equality for women
Nicola Sturgeon vows to get tough with council chiefs over pay equality for women
By Daniel Sanderson - The Herald
NICOLA Sturgeon will today warn council chiefs that she is ready to hit them with tough new penalties if they continue to drag their feet over wage equality for thousands of female workers.
The First Minister, in an address to the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in Dundee, is expected to announce that if she is re-elected next month she will explore sanctions that the Scottish Government could impose on town halls if they refuse to honour equal pay obligations.
It is understood that the feasibility of imposing fines on local authorities through their financial settlement will be considered, if they fail to resolve disputes by a deadline of April next year.
By Daniel Sanderson - The Herald
NICOLA Sturgeon will today warn council chiefs that she is ready to hit them with tough new penalties if they continue to drag their feet over wage equality for thousands of female workers.
The First Minister, in an address to the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in Dundee, is expected to announce that if she is re-elected next month she will explore sanctions that the Scottish Government could impose on town halls if they refuse to honour equal pay obligations.
It is understood that the feasibility of imposing fines on local authorities through their financial settlement will be considered, if they fail to resolve disputes by a deadline of April next year.
