Glasgow and Equal Pay

Here's another reader's story about how the GMB union 'talks the talk' in relation to equal pay (I've withheld people's names for obvious reasons)    

Hi Mark

On reading your blog I had a wee blast from the past. 

15 years ago myself and a group of other staff held the position as home care coordinators. We were offered a 6 month secondment position as SVQ Assessors. After the 6 month period, we were offered the position full time. Before making a decision we sought advice from our then trade union GMB to discuss our wage who advised us to take on the new position, informing us that our wage must go up. 

Delivering SVQ level 2 and 3s to social care staff is a legislative requirement with the SSSC.  The GMB said there was no way (because of the new/additional responsibilities etc we now had,) that they could keep us on the same rate of pay, as home care coordinators. Based on this advice we accepted the position.

Weeks later equal pay claims were announced. When we met up with the GMB for advice and they said that as we had now moved from hands on work to a white collar worker, we no longer had a claim.

As you can imagine our blood was boiling and we were very vocal about this. We replied that the GMB should have made us aware of this, before advising us to take on the new position. We pointed out that we were now going to lose out, because of this advice. 

The GMB then referred us to the famous Digby Brown Lawyers who basically told us the same. We explained that the only reason we took on the position of SVQ Assessors was because of the union's advice. We gave our views, informing her that we had been mis-advised and informed by our trade union.

We then found out about your service and thankfully to A4ES we did get a settlement. 

Had we sat back and accepted the advice from GMB we would have lost out big time. We have been working as SVQ Assessors for 15 years and that wage increase that the GMB  promised, STILL NEVER HAPPENED. 

I am not a GMB member and i would advise anyone who is, to get out. That union have no values or interest in their female members. They talk the talk but dont walk the walk. 

Regards



M

I can't say I'm surprised because the reader's view chimes with my experience of the GMB in recent years and reinforces my opinion that individual union members ought to have access to an 'independent' complaints procedure, if they're unhappy with the 'service' they receive from their own trade union.

Because trade unions are big powerful organisations and like most big bureaucracies they could do with an independent referee to adjudicate dispute when members (customers) raise a complaint.

Nowadays, people have the right to raise an independent complaint about lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, health boards, local councils, property managers, telecom providers etc etc etc.

And if you ask me, trade unions should be subject to the same standards of behaviour.