Glasgow's MSPs and Equal Pay
I promised to look at what Glasgow's MSPs were 'Tweeting' about over the weekend and to share my findings on the blog.
So here goes with some of the topics the city's MSPs felt were worthy of talking about or Retweeting - starting with Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister and MSP for Glasgow Southside.
- Queens Park - Battle of Langside
- Mental Health Awareness Week
- Books are therapy
- Scotland's infrastructure projects
- Community heritage
- Joe Thomson, RIP
- Mediation conference in Edinburgh
- Chinese delegation at Bute House
- Glasgow drugs rooms
- Community buy-out of Ulva
- Learning disability week
- Refugee survival trust
Who knows, maybe some of Nicola's MSP colleagues will have something to say?
So watch this space.
Glasgow 'Quiet Bunch' MSPs (12/05/18)
An equal pay claimant made an excellent point on Facebook the other day about a local Glasgow MSP, Bob Doris, who has been speaking out publicly over the future of Blindcraft (part of Glasgow City Building) while having nothing of substance to say about the fight for equal pay.
Just read that blindcraft in Springburn is worried that £500,000 might be cut from their budget which is a manufacturing side of city building (GCC ALEO)and MSP Bob Doris is in there fighting to keep funding from DWP. My question is I thought anything to do with local gov was nothing to do with MSPs. Well that’s what they tell us. Their actions are getting so loud for everything else but the equal pay fight.
M
Now it's good to see Glasgow politicians supporting and sticking up for a Blindcraft, but it's also fair comment to point out that they should be doing the same thing when it comes to the fight for equal pay.
I''ve just done a quick check and all 8 of Glasgow's MSPs (all SNP by the way) have been very active on Twitter, sharing their views on a wide range of topical issues, as they should be.
But unless I've missed something there's not a single word on the long running fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council despite the huge importance of the subject for their local constituents.
Have a look on Twitter and Facebook yourself and if you find any comments about:
I''ve just done a quick check and all 8 of Glasgow's MSPs (all SNP by the way) have been very active on Twitter, sharing their views on a wide range of topical issues, as they should be.
But unless I've missed something there's not a single word on the long running fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council despite the huge importance of the subject for their local constituents.
Have a look on Twitter and Facebook yourself and if you find any comments about:
- the fight for equal pay
- Glasgow's 'unfit for purpose' WPBR
- the Council's discriminatory 37 hour 'rule'
- the consultative strike ballots of Unison and GMB members
- the lack of cooperation from senior officials over FOI and the WPBR
By Stewart Paterson @PatersonHT - Evening Times
RSBi employee Martin McGarvie with Jamie Hepburn
FEARS that Government cuts could put jobs at risk at Glasgow’s Blindcraft factory have emerged.
The Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, in Springburn, employs around 250 people, half with with sight-related disabilities.
More than 100 of the jobs are supported by half a million pounds a year from the Protected Places programme funded by the DWP.
However, reforms to the supported employment model have left politicians and unions concerned for the future of the jobs.
Maryhill and Springburn MSP Bob Doris said he wants to ensure the UK Government recognises the importance of RSBi and the impact a funding cut would have on the workforce.
He said: There are people there who wouldn’t make the transition to mainstream employment.”
Mr Doris as well as union representatives at RSBi wrote to the UK Government Minister for Disabled People, Sarah Newton to invite her to the factory.
Mr Doris said he had wants to ensure the same fate does not befall RSBi as it did Remploy when it was forced to close.
He said: “A change to the use, distribution or criteria of the fund could place the future of both individual employees and the wider workplace at risk.
“Indeed, in recent years when the UK Government reformed a related employment area, it saw the closure of the local ‘Remploy’ facility. This was something that caused significant pain and despair. The human cost of lives blighted by that closure endures.”
Blindcraft makes furniture, kitchen units, storage, beds and timber construction kits to a variety of clients, including Glasgow Housing Association.
Glasgow City Council leader, Susan Aitken, also raised concerns about the review of funding.
She wrote to the minister with “grave concerns” about the impact on Blindcraft and also invited her to Glasgow
She said Blindcraft’s employment models allow those who face challenges to thrive.
She added: “The potential loss of UK Government supported employment model funding to RSBi is therefore of mounting concern. This would have a severe impact on the organisation and lives of staff.”
Ms Newton has accepted the invite and arrangements are being made for a visit.
RSBi employee Martin McGarvie with Jamie Hepburn
FEARS that Government cuts could put jobs at risk at Glasgow’s Blindcraft factory have emerged.
The Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, in Springburn, employs around 250 people, half with with sight-related disabilities.
More than 100 of the jobs are supported by half a million pounds a year from the Protected Places programme funded by the DWP.
However, reforms to the supported employment model have left politicians and unions concerned for the future of the jobs.
Maryhill and Springburn MSP Bob Doris said he wants to ensure the UK Government recognises the importance of RSBi and the impact a funding cut would have on the workforce.
He said: There are people there who wouldn’t make the transition to mainstream employment.”
Mr Doris as well as union representatives at RSBi wrote to the UK Government Minister for Disabled People, Sarah Newton to invite her to the factory.
Mr Doris said he had wants to ensure the same fate does not befall RSBi as it did Remploy when it was forced to close.
He said: “A change to the use, distribution or criteria of the fund could place the future of both individual employees and the wider workplace at risk.
“Indeed, in recent years when the UK Government reformed a related employment area, it saw the closure of the local ‘Remploy’ facility. This was something that caused significant pain and despair. The human cost of lives blighted by that closure endures.”
Blindcraft makes furniture, kitchen units, storage, beds and timber construction kits to a variety of clients, including Glasgow Housing Association.
Glasgow City Council leader, Susan Aitken, also raised concerns about the review of funding.
She wrote to the minister with “grave concerns” about the impact on Blindcraft and also invited her to Glasgow
She said Blindcraft’s employment models allow those who face challenges to thrive.
She added: “The potential loss of UK Government supported employment model funding to RSBi is therefore of mounting concern. This would have a severe impact on the organisation and lives of staff.”
Ms Newton has accepted the invite and arrangements are being made for a visit.
From 'Quiet Bunch' to 'Wild Bunch' ((12/05/18)
Now David's reluctance to meet and discuss the issues surprised me I have to say because he strikes me as someone who is keen to take up local issues.
So while equal pay is a matter for Glasgow City Council, you would think that Glasgow's politicians would take a keen interest in and speak up about specific issues which affect the interests of their local constituents.
- the Council's 'unfit for purpose' WPBR scheme
- the impact of the 37 hour 'rule' on Glasgow's largely female workforce
- the years of pay discrimination against thousands of Cordia council employees
- the FOI battle for openness and transparency over the introduction of the WPBR
Apologies for the delay in responding - I’m still catching up with emails from a busy couple of weeks.
I’m told that Susan Aitken herself is going to be organising a public Q&A event with those impacted by the equal pay issue, so I think that would be of considerably more benefit than a small, select group meeting only with me.
I’m always happy to meet individual constituents - including yourself - to pursue casework but given that this is ultimately a Council issue, I think it would be of more use for you to see Susan directly.
I cannot stress enough how much we want to see this issue resolved. As you know, we’ve committed to resolve it - and we will - but I think it’s important that all parties at the table acknowledge that it’s not going to be just concluded overnight.
Best wishes,
David
As for leaving all of this to a Q & A session with Susan Aitken, this meeting was originally supposed to take place in March and we are now into May - so I think it's entirely reasonable that Glasgow's MPs, MSPs and local councillors started asking some tough questions themselves.
So it seems that Humza Yousaf, the MSP for Glasgow Pollok and Scotland's transport minister, is not a 'Quiet Man' after all when it comes to speaking his mind on social media.
According to the Evening Times Humza has been accused of 'trolling' Rangers fans by poking fun at the suggestion that the former Liverpool and England captain, Stephen Gerrard, could become the Ibrox club's new manager.
Now I can't see anything wrong with what Humza had to say because his comments were not in the least provocative or insulting - even if some Rangers fans choose to take offence while turning a convenient 'deaf ear' to the antics of the sectarian element of their own support.
But what astonishes me is that while Humza has time to tweet about football, as a local MSP Humza has had nothing to say about the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council.
Now I'm sure Humza 'supports' the principle of equal pay (who doesn't?), the point is that he has had nothing of substance to say about what's going on in Glasgow City Council - despite me sending Humza and all the other Glasgow MSPs and MPs barrowloads of information explaining:
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/16188518.Transport_minister_Humza_Yousaf_in_trolling_Rangers_fans_row_over__Stephen_Gerrard__tweet/
Transport minister Humza Yousaf in trolling Rangers fans row over "Stephen Gerrard" tweet
I've sent a copy of my post on 'Glasgow - Accountability and Equal Pay' to all of the city's MSPs and MPs along with the following Twitter message:
It's a disgrace that so many senior officials were so handsomely rewarded over while GCC got into a terrible mess over equal pay. Some have been awarded top-ups to their pensions and been awarded honours 'for services to local government'
I am also planning to send a copy to all elected councillors in Glasgow and I'm sure lots of equal pay claimants will want to follow this up with messages of their own as the campaign heats in the weeks ahead.
I will publish contact details for Glasgow's MSPs and MPs on the bloke site again and you can find that email and phone numbers for your own local councillor via the following link to the City Council's web site: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17565
A number of readers have been in touch to say that their local MSPs or MPs don't respond to emails which I find quite shocking, I have to admit.
If this happens again, then let me know the names of any Glasgow politicians behaving so rudely because it is obviously part of their job to respond to constituents' enquiries and take their concerns seriously.
And if they can't be bothered to do so, I'm happy to 'name names' and share people's experiences on the blog site.
From 'Quiet Bunch' to 'Wild Bunch' (27/04/18)
According to the Evening Times Humza has been accused of 'trolling' Rangers fans by poking fun at the suggestion that the former Liverpool and England captain, Stephen Gerrard, could become the Ibrox club's new manager.
Now I can't see anything wrong with what Humza had to say because his comments were not in the least provocative or insulting - even if some Rangers fans choose to take offence while turning a convenient 'deaf ear' to the antics of the sectarian element of their own support.
But what astonishes me is that while Humza has time to tweet about football, as a local MSP Humza has had nothing to say about the fight for equal pay in Glasgow City Council.
Now I'm sure Humza 'supports' the principle of equal pay (who doesn't?), the point is that he has had nothing of substance to say about what's going on in Glasgow City Council - despite me sending Humza and all the other Glasgow MSPs and MPs barrowloads of information explaining:
- the Council's 'unfit for purpose' WPBR scheme
- the impact of the 37 hour 'rule' on Glasgow's largely female workforce
- the years of pay discrimination against thousands of Cordia council employees
- the FOI battle for openness and transparency over the introduction of the WPBR
By Martin Williams @Martin1Williams - The Evening Times
Transport minister Humza Yousaf in trolling Rangers fans row over "Stephen Gerrard" tweet
TRANSPORT minister Humza Yousaf has come under fire for "trolling" Rangers fans over news that ex-Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard was in talks with the club to become new manager.
Mr Yousaf took to social media to comment after it emerged that Gerrard was in the frame to replace Graeme Murty.
But Mr Yousaf, a Celtic fan, was strongly criticised after he tweeted: "Spoiler alert - Gerrard won't be Rangers manager."
Follow Rangers Shareholders, the new supporters group aimed at participating in fan ownership accused Mr Yousaf of "trolling".
They said: "We are astonished and disappointed that Scottish Government minister Humza Yousaf spent part of the normal working day trolling Rangers supporters.
"It's clear where his priorities lie - and it's not with the welfare of the Scottish people!"
Mr Yousaf later responded: "No idea why on earth anyone would be offended or insulted by my opinion that it is very unlikely Stephen (sic) Gerrard will be the next Rangers manager."
One fan pointed out that Gerrard's first name is spelt with a 'v'.
Ibrox director of football Mark Allen is leading the search for Rangers next boss and it is understood he has been speaking to a number of candidates to take over the Ibrox hot seat, with Gerrard's name expected to be on a shortlist.
The former Liverpool and England captain, who retired as a player in 2016, was appointed manager of Liverpool's under 18s team last summer.
Last year Mr Yousaf was accused of “baiting” Rangers fans – after apparently publishing a tweet mocking them for their Old Firm defeat to Celtic.
Mr Yousaf who is Minister for Transport and the Islands,deleted the tweet after facing a strong backlash.
Yousaf sent the tweet after being called a “w***” by a Rangers fan online.
His post read: “I can’t *5-1* imagine what is *5-1* upsetting you to such *5-1* an extent that you would *5-1* make such a foul *5-1* insult? *5-1.”
Transport minister Humza Yousaf in trolling Rangers fans row over "Stephen Gerrard" tweet
TRANSPORT minister Humza Yousaf has come under fire for "trolling" Rangers fans over news that ex-Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard was in talks with the club to become new manager.
Mr Yousaf took to social media to comment after it emerged that Gerrard was in the frame to replace Graeme Murty.
But Mr Yousaf, a Celtic fan, was strongly criticised after he tweeted: "Spoiler alert - Gerrard won't be Rangers manager."
Follow Rangers Shareholders, the new supporters group aimed at participating in fan ownership accused Mr Yousaf of "trolling".
They said: "We are astonished and disappointed that Scottish Government minister Humza Yousaf spent part of the normal working day trolling Rangers supporters.
"It's clear where his priorities lie - and it's not with the welfare of the Scottish people!"
Mr Yousaf later responded: "No idea why on earth anyone would be offended or insulted by my opinion that it is very unlikely Stephen (sic) Gerrard will be the next Rangers manager."
One fan pointed out that Gerrard's first name is spelt with a 'v'.
Ibrox director of football Mark Allen is leading the search for Rangers next boss and it is understood he has been speaking to a number of candidates to take over the Ibrox hot seat, with Gerrard's name expected to be on a shortlist.
The former Liverpool and England captain, who retired as a player in 2016, was appointed manager of Liverpool's under 18s team last summer.
Last year Mr Yousaf was accused of “baiting” Rangers fans – after apparently publishing a tweet mocking them for their Old Firm defeat to Celtic.
Mr Yousaf who is Minister for Transport and the Islands,deleted the tweet after facing a strong backlash.
Yousaf sent the tweet after being called a “w***” by a Rangers fan online.
His post read: “I can’t *5-1* imagine what is *5-1* upsetting you to such *5-1* an extent that you would *5-1* make such a foul *5-1* insult? *5-1.”
Glasgow's Politicians (25/04/18)
I've sent a copy of my post on 'Glasgow - Accountability and Equal Pay' to all of the city's MSPs and MPs along with the following Twitter message:
It's a disgrace that so many senior officials were so handsomely rewarded over while GCC got into a terrible mess over equal pay. Some have been awarded top-ups to their pensions and been awarded honours 'for services to local government'
I am also planning to send a copy to all elected councillors in Glasgow and I'm sure lots of equal pay claimants will want to follow this up with messages of their own as the campaign heats in the weeks ahead.
I will publish contact details for Glasgow's MSPs and MPs on the bloke site again and you can find that email and phone numbers for your own local councillor via the following link to the City Council's web site: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17565
A number of readers have been in touch to say that their local MSPs or MPs don't respond to emails which I find quite shocking, I have to admit.
If this happens again, then let me know the names of any Glasgow politicians behaving so rudely because it is obviously part of their job to respond to constituents' enquiries and take their concerns seriously.
And if they can't be bothered to do so, I'm happy to 'name names' and share people's experiences on the blog site.
