Glasgow - Breaking News!
Stefan Cross has just posted this Glasgow update on Facebook and it's to remind people not to take anything for granted as we go into tomorrow's big council meeting.
I have to say I find it very hard to understand why all these 'good socialists' and 'trade unionists' in Labour's ranks find it so difficult to do the right thing when it comes to equal pay.
Especially when Scotland's highest court, the Court of Session, has judged the City Council's cockamamy WPBR pay scheme to be 'unfit for purpose.
So far the only Labour councillor to have shown a bit of backbone is Cllr Matt Kerr which suggests to me that my old chum Frank McAveety (the current Labour Group leader) should step aside and make way for some fresh blood.
And isn't it shocking that the Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, a former GMB official, has had nothing of substance to say when there is so much at stake.
NO CHICKEN COUNTING
The word on the grapevine is that SNP are solid for not appealing, Greens are probable but not sure if all attending, but Labour couldn’t agree a position and it’s a free vote with the former leader and his supporters backing an appeal.
It’s therefore not ‘in the bag’ at all.
So if you are in a Labour ward it’s still worth lobbying your councillor.
Still shocks me that some in Labour want to fight low paid women seeking equal pay but it is what it is.
But big point here, whatever happens tomorrow, that’s far from the end. So no cheques in post just yet. Nevertheless removing prospect of appeal is huge step to a fair settlement sooner rather than later.
So get lobbying
Labour in the Spotlight
Here are the eight Labour Party councillors, members of the City Council's Administration Committee, who will help decide on Wednesday whether to accept the unanimous judgment of Scotland's highest civil court, the Court of Session, which has ruled that Glasgow's WPBR pay arrangements are 'unfit for purpose'.
For the life of me, given what we know now in 2018 and the complete 'kicking' the Council received in the Court of Session, I can't see how any Labour,councillor could vote to prolong this farce, especially with all these trade union members in Labour's ranks.
Labour Councillors
Frank McAveety
Frank is a former teacher and has (or at least had) a brother who is an official with the Unite trade union. Frank received a donation of £200 to Glasgow's Labour Group to help with election expenses in 2017
Archie Graham
Archie has been around a long time and knows the difference between doing right and doing wrong. He is a member of the Unite trade union and the husband of the former Labour Scottish Leader and prominent 'feminist' Johann Lamont. I really can't imagine Archie voting to do anything else other than to bite the bullet and settle these cases, but who knows?
Bill Butler
Bill is a former Labour MSP who was very 'left-wing' in his time as aI recall. According to Glasgow City Council's register of interests Bill is a member of the GMB union - so how could he possibly do anything other than agree that the time has come for the council to concede defeat?
Elaine McDougall
Elaine is another member of the GMB trade union - enough said!
Martin Rhodes
Martin is apparently employed as a Director of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, a charity and company limited by guarantee. Martin is also another member of the Unite trade union.
Matt Kerr
Matt appears to be a slightly younger member of the Labour contingent on Glasgow City Council and as well as being Chair of the Licensing Board (for which he receives a salary of £24,341) Martin is a member of the CWU trade union.
Maureen Burke
Maureen was temporarily appointed to the position of Organiser for Anas Sarwar's election campaign to become Labour leader (which was unsuccessful), but appears to be one of the few Labour councillors not to be a trade union member although I understand that Maureen did work for well known Glasgow 'feminist' politician in Margaret Curran - so surely her support should be 'in the bag'
Soryia Siddique
Soryia is a Science Lecturer as well as being a Glasgow councillor, but why would a young women rooted in the traditions of the Labour Party be anything other than supportive on the issue of equal pay?
Glasgow - Breaking News! (15/01/18)
I take my hat off to Councillor Matt Kerr who appears to have taken a principled stand on the Court of Session's ruling that Glasgow City Council's WPBR pay scheme is 'unfit for purpose'
Now if other Labour councillors have the courage of their convictions and join forces with the SNP and others on Wednesday, then 17 January 2018 could be (and should be) a truly momentous day in the long fight for equal pay in Glasgow.
Here's what Matt had to say to one of his constituents earlier via Facebook and I, for one, would be more than happy to sit down with Glasgow's councillors to explain how, from an A4ES perspective, the City Council got itself into such a terrible mess.
Dear P,
Please rest assured that I will not be voting to take the legal process any further.
As far as I can see, the broad legal position is now clear, and it's time to get into the details in order to settle the issue.
Questions now need to be answered however, in terms of the legal and professional advice received by this council in good faith some 12 years ago when the initial attempt at delivering equal pay was made. Helpfully, the paper on Wednesday's agenda acknowledges this, and I hope that whilst work must now go on to create a new pay and grading structure, lessons need to be learned on the process that got us to this point in the first place.
In terms of supporting my local constituents, I will assist any individual who approaches me for help of guidance on this matter, and I will do what I can to influence the discussions and negotiations which lie ahead.
Sincerely,
Cllr Matt Kerr
