Glasgow - Insulting and Ridiculous

I said in a post the other day that Glasgow's MSPs and MPs have been strangely quiet during the long fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council.

A kind reader has just shared this email from John Mason MSP which, if you ask me, is ill-judged, patronising and insulting because of the strange way John qualifies his 'support' for equal pay.

John's suggestion is that the Glasgow claimants who have been cheated and robbed of their rights to equal pay for years should come up with a solution themselves and consider accepting less than they are entitled to given the potential impact on jobs and services.

Thanks for your email.

Yes, I do agree with you that this dispute should be settled as soon as possible.

The problem is how much money it will cost and where that money will come from. Figures up to £500 million have been mentioned and Glasgow does not have that money. Labour should have made cuts to pay for the equal pay.

Do you think the SNP should cut jobs and services in order to pay the equal pay claim? Or should the workers who are entitled to the money take less so their colleagues can keep their jobs?

Happy to hear any ideas you have about where the money should come from.

Sincerely

John Mason

(MSP for Glasgow Shettleston)Now I didn't hear Nicola Sturgeon qualify her support back in October when she said at an SNP conference in Glasgow in October 2017:

"The injustice suffered by low paid women in this city will be put right.

"Equal pay for equal work, denied for too long, will be delivered by the SNP."

Nor have I heard SNP MPs at Westminster say that the pension rights of the 'WASPI' women should be restored so long as they come up with proposals for making cuts in other areas of public spending!

I must check on this point with Ian Blackford, the SNP leader in the House of Commons, and Mhairi Black, the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire, who has been very vocal in support of the WASPI campaign, but I'll eat my hat is that is the stance being taken by the SNP in Westminster.

And while I agree with John that previous Labour-led administrations in Glasgow have a lot to answer for, if I remember correctly, John was a Glasgow councillor at the time the City Council approved its 'unfit for purpose' WPBR pay arrangements back in 2006/07.

So John trying to 'wash his hands' of the whole affair simply won't do although I'd be happy to sit down and discuss how the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government might help Glasgow City Council find a way out of the huge mess it finds itself in today.

But what do the claimants in Glasgow think of John's email?

Let me know and I'll see if we can find a way of bringing Glasgow's MSPs and MPs together for a constructive discussion with some of the claimants in the New Year.

Glasgow's 'Quiet Bunch' (15/12/17)

Glasgow's MSPs and MPs are proving to be more like 'The Quiet Bunch' than 'The Wild Bunch' when it comes to the fight for equal pay with Scotland's largest local council.

Now I've been keeping all Glasgow politicians - local councillors, MSPs and MPs - up to speed with what's been happening in recent weeks and months, yet there seems to be a strange reluctance to get directly involved.

I certainly expected the politicians to show more interest in what's happening in their own back yard and to speak up on important issues such as the prospect of the City Council trying to overturn a unanimous judgment from Scotland's highest civil court, the Court of Session.

Maybe they're all too busy doing their Christmas shopping, but whatever the reason I'm sure this issue is going to return with a real vengeance in the New Year.

Glasgow MSPs and MPs (08//11/17)

I sent a copy of yesterday's post on 'The Fight for Equal Pay' to all Glasgow MSPs and MPs along with the following Twitter message:

"Equal pay claimants demand respect from Glasgow City Council after years of being treated as second-class citizens"

So far at least, I've heard nothing back - not a 'Like', 'Retweet', message of support or request for further information.

Which strikes me as a bit odd because Glasgow's MSPs and MPs have strong views on just about every issue under the sun, if their Twitter feeds are anything to go by.

And you would think that Glasgow's politicians would be taking a very keen interest in such a long running struggle which is taking place right under their noses.

In any event, it's important that equal pay claimants keep demanding support from their local MSPs and MPs because we're not out of the woods yet - not by a long chalk.

MSPs and MPs have a big role to play in the weeks ahead as the City Council decides whether to pursue an appeal to the UK Supreme Court and over the outstanding issue of coming clean over its WPBR pay arrangements.

Surely it's not too much to ask Glasgow's politicians to get behind their local constituents on the question of openness, transparency and equal pay?

The Fight for Equal Pay in Glasgow (08/11/17)

Here's the blog post I planned to publish this morning on the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council which has now been overtaken by events after the arrival of last night's late night email with the long awaited pay information.

Now while things may changed overnight, I think it's really quite outrageous that claimants are in the position of having to fight Glasgow City Council every inch of the way towards a fair and just resolution of their equal pay claims.

The claimants deserve an awful lot better - if you ask me, they deserve senior officials who treat the claimants with respect by engaging positively with their representatives and cooperating fully on issues like the provision of pay information.

The past few days been an emotional rollercoaster for claimants who have been treated abominably for years, yet this could have been easily avoided with a bit of common sense and what used to pass for native intelligence in Scottish local government.

Nonetheless if we do face a similar situation again, the task of mobilising thousands of equal pay claimants across Glasgow may well be back on the cards - even though the dog didn't actually have to bark this time around.

The Fight for Equal Pay in Glasgow

Here is a draft letter of complaint to Glasgow City Council's chief executive, Annemarie O'Donnell, regarding the provision of pay information to A4ES and other claimant organisations who are acting for GCC employees in connection with equal pay.

Feel free to personalise the letter with additional comments if you wish, before adding your name, but unlike GCC act with dignity and respect at all times.

Dear Ms O'Donnell

I wish to raise a formal complaint about the behaviour of the City Council's Legal Manager, Raymond Farrell, over his repeated failure to provide pay information required to progress my outstanding equal pay claim against Glasgow City Council.

I understand that Mr Farrell has missed deadline after deadline for providing this pay data without offering any apology or explanation for his behaviour which I find insulting and highly disrespectful.

I would like my representative organisation (Action 4 Equality Scotland Ltd) to pursue this complaint on my behalf and share any further details that may be required.

Please confirm receipt of my letter of complaint.

Yours sincerely

An Angry GCC Employee (Name)

The aim is for A4ES equal pay claimants to register their own individual complaint with the Council's chief executive and copy this to the Council Leader, Cllr Susan Aitken.

A4ES will be submitting a separate 'collective' complaint on behalf of its several thousand clients in Glasgow, but individual claimants getting involved will help get a much needed message across that this kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable.

So the more people who take part the better for all concerned.

Email address for the Chief Executive is: annemarie.odonnell@ced.glasgow.gov.uk

Email address for the Council Leader is: susan.aitken@glasgow.gov.uk

Glasgow City Council is the largest and best resourced council in Scotland, but If you ask me the behaviour of its senior officials is making Glasgow look ridiculous.

Glasgow - Breaking News! (03/11/17)

The breaking news from Glasgow is that there is no news from Glasgow!

Senior officials in the City Council missed their own deadline for providing low overdue pay information on Friday (3 November), but emphasised that this data would be made available today, Monday 6 November 2017.

But nothing has been heard from the City Council today - not a word, not a cheap, no humble apologies or explanation as to what the hell is going on at the City Chambers.

Nada!

Now this is a quite extraordinary state of affairs, unprecedented in my experience of Scottish local government.

In my opinion it's a complete 'joke', albeit one that is not remotely funny to the thousands of equal pay claimants across Glasgow who are being treated with such disrespect.

The fightback against this contemptible behaviour by the City Council gets underway tomorrow and individual claimants will have a crucial role to play.

So watch this space.

Glasgow - Breaking News! (03/11/17)

The big news from Glasgow is that the council's senior officials have failed yet again to deliver on their promise about providing vital pay information.

The senior official responsible for this farcical situation was in touch earlier today to say that the council is still carrying out a 'final verification' of the pay data which means that it will not be available until Monday.

Now I have to admit that I have absolutely no idea what a 'final verification' process is, but it does seems ridiculous to me that this measure was not already factored into the original timescale for completing the task.

Not least because Glasgow, Scotland's largest and best resourced council of course, claims to have been working hard to provide this information for months.

The obvious point to make is that if Glasgow's equal pay claimants - carers, cooks, cleaners, catering staff, clerical workers, classroom assistants etc - did their jobs in this 'couldn't care less', slapdash manner, there would be hell to pay.

And rightly so because the City Council would demand answers, insist that proper standards be upheld and 'carpet' anyone who was not taking their job and the service seriously.

So why is it that senior officials in Glasgow seem to operate to a quite different set of standards and rules?

I don't know to be honest although I do know that officials being paid big salaries worth tens of thousands of pounds year should be making a much better fist of things, instead of being obstructive and unhelpful.

Given that Monday is the new deadline, I can't see much point in going to war over the weekend, but I do plan to email this blog post to the City Council Leader, Susan Aitken and to all Glasgow MSPs and MPs.

Monday will be a different story however and if nothing has changed by then I would be looking for people's help to ensure that the sparks start to fly.

Watch this space.

Dignity and Respect in Glasgow (03/11/17)

Here's another letter from reader a reader in Glasgow making the case for the City Council's equal pay claimants to be treated with dignity and respect.

Dear Susan Aitken

I fully appreciate the mammoth headache of equal pay dispute that you walked into as part of the job that you now hold.

But l do think that by not letting the woman involved in the equal pay dispute know what is going on is only going to add to this.

I think it is about time we were told if only out of human courtesy when you will sit down with our representatives or ourselves and finally start talking about what as l think you fully understand is entitled to us.

We are hard working woman doing not always an easy job for the City of Glasgow we go out there every day tending to young and old in all weathers for a pay that has been short changed for many years now.

You as head of the Council can finally put right this wrong.

I look forward to see what the outcome will be.

Yours Sincerely

M

Glasgow - Equal Pay Update (03/11/17)

Today is a big day for thousands of equal pay claimants in Glasgow.

Because senior City Council officials have promised that long awaited pay information, which is required to allow serious settlement discussions to get underway, will finally be shared with claimant organisations by close of play today, Friday 3 November 2017.

If the pay data is not released, the City Council will have gone back on its word and I for one would have to question whether these senior officials are capable of acting in good faith.

As regular readers know, the City Council agreed to provide this pay data months ago, but all they've come up with until now is one pathetic excuse after another.

So let's hope things are about to take a big turn for the better.

Because if they don't, I think it would be fair to say that officials are undermining the new council administration and treating the City Council's equal pay claimants with enormous disrespect.

Glasgow - Equal Pay Update (02/11/17)

Here's a very powerful letter from a Glasgow Classroom Assistant to the leader of the City Council, Susan Aitken.

Good evening ,

I've been employed as a classroom assistant for 14 years in Glasgow. In that time I have been spat at, verbally assaulted and threatened on numerous occasions.

I love my job, you might find that strange to hear when you read my opening sentence but I do. I work with great colleagues and have the pleasure of supporting some of the most vulnerable young people in the community. A community that has been laid threadbare by the policies of politicians in various guises.

When you were elected to a position of power I had hoped that things would change I had hoped that you would quickly settle the equal pay claim that blights the name of Glasgow City Council. You are failing the people who you claim to represent. People who been devalued by the organisation you lead, people who only want what is their due.

Again I have been informed that your officials are stalling on meeting with my appointed advisors. How much longer can you justify these stalling tactics? I ask you listen to us and move the process forward to allow us the dignity and respect we deserve.

Kind Regards

H

The letter speaks for itself and highlights the importance of people engaging directly with local politicians in Glasgow, as there's really no good answer to the points being raised.

All I would add is that senior officials in the City Council are not giving the issue of equal pay the priority it deserves and it's time they started treating the claimants with proper respect.

Glasgow - Equal Pay Update (31/10/17)

Here's a letter I've just sent by email to the Leader of Glasgow City Council, Cllr Susan Aitken.

Now it's an 'open secret' that many of Glasgow's senior officials and advisers would prefer to keep this battle going through the courts because they are responsible for the mess the City Council finds itself in today.

So 'kicking the can' down the road a bit further to the UK Supreme Court means that they don't have to answer for their actions, as they are likely to have retired or moved on to other lucrative jobs.

The email address I have for Susan Aitken is - susan.aitken@glasgow.gov.uk - and I think it would be very useful if readers dropped the Leader a note to say that its high time that the Council's senior officials got their finger out.

Dear Councillor Aitken

Glasgow and Equal Pay

I understand that the long-awaited meeting with Glasgow City Council has still not been arranged despite the claimant organisations offering no less than five separate dates across three different weeks.

Senior council officials had these proposed dates for more than a week, i.e. since 23 October 2017, but waited until yesterday (Monday 30th) before announcing that there were unspecified problems on the City Council's side.

I have no idea what these 'problems' are though I think it is entirely reasonable to expect the City Council to give a much higher priority to these settlement discussions than they have received up until now.

I should also point out that senior officials have failed, yet again, to provide the pay data that was promised to the claimant organisations throughout September and October which makes it rather difficult to believe there is not a deliberate policy of obstruction at work, in some parts of the council at least.

I hope you will use your position as Leader of the Council to break the present logjam because I think it is fair to say that the claimants are fed up to the back teeth with this total lack of urgency and respect.

Kind regards

Mark Irvine

Glasgow - Equal Pay Update (30/10/17)

In recent days I've reported that long awaited equal pay settlement discussions with Glasgow City Council are about to get underway.

A4ES along with the other claimant organisations were asked to provide dates for an initial meeting to take place, which was done quickly as you would expect, and the following list of dates was given to the City Council on Monday 23 October 2017.

30 October 2017
31 October 2017
9 November 2017
13 November 2017
16 November 2017

But since last Monday both a thing has been heard from the City Council despite chase-up emails and follow-up phone calls.

So what are senior council officials playing at - are they taking things seriously or just fooling around?

Because the first date has already come and gone while the second (tomorrow) has no chance of going ahead at such short notice.

Whatever's going on this is no way to carry on if you ask me - it's rude and disrespectful to the claimants and if council officials feel able to behave in this manner before serious talks get underway, what are they going to be like when it comes to dealing with the big issues.

So I'm going to email the City Council leader Susan Aitken because Glasgow needs to get its act together and its officials need to start treating the claimants with some respect:susan.aitken@glasgow.gov.uk

Glasgow MSPs and MPs (28/10/17)

I wrote yesterday about the importance of the next couple of months in the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council because we ought to know two things well before Christmas:

Is a proper settlement process finally underway and is there a clear timetable and road map in place for resolving all the outstanding equal pay claims?
Has Glasgow City Council abandoned the idea of pursuing an appeal to the UK Supreme Court?

Now if you ask me, Glasgow MSPs and MPs should be getting right behind their local constituents on these issues which means speaking up sharing their views.

For example in the local Glasgow press, on social media and their own Facebook pages or Twitter accounts.

No one is asking or expecting MSPs and MPs to attack the City Council, not least because its leaders say they are full committed to a negotiated settlement.

But there are clearly forces at work who would love to continue the long-running legal battle in the courts and to the UK Supreme Court, if they had their way.

So it's potentially crucial that Glasgow's MSPs and MPs speak up and explain where they stand - and here's a handy list of their contact email addresses.

If I hear from any MSPs and MPs directly, I'll share what they have to say on the blog site.

Glasgow's MSPs and MPs (08/09/17)

I sent all Glasgow MSPs and MPs a copy of the posts from yesterday regarding the Accounts Commission report and the 10 year 'failure of leadership' over equal pay.

If you ask me, Glasgow MSPs and MPs have not been very vocal or visible in standing up for the rights of their local constituents in the fight for equal pay over the past 10 years, but let's hope things are about to change for the better.

So here is a list of the MSPs and MPs whose constituencies lie within the boundaries of Glasgow City Council - engaging with local politicians and asking them where they stand will help to bring the fight for equal pay to a speedy and successful conclusion.

Here's a handy link names all of the various Glasgow constituencies for easy reference: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17759

I contacted all of these MSPs and MPs yesterday, so they are all up to speed on the latest developments and since the local elections in May 2017 Labour has, of course, lost political control of Glasgow City Council to the SNP.

The MSPs are all the same, but there are two changes in the MP list with David Linden replacing Natalie McGarry in Glasgow East and Paul Sweeney replacing Anne McLaughlin in Glasgow North East.

Contact details for Glasgow councillors can be found via the following link to the City Council's web site: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17565

Glasgow MSPs (Scottish Parliament)

Bob.Doris.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

James.Dornan.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Bill.Kidd.msp@cottish.parliament.scot

John.Mason.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Ivan.McKee.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Nicola.Sturgeon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Sandra.White.msp@cottish.parliament.uk

Humza.Yousaf.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Glasgow MPs (Westminster Parliament)

Patrick.Grady.mp@parliament.uk

Stewart.McDonald.mp@parliament.uk

David.Linden.mp@parliament.uk