Time to 'Walk the Walk' on Equal Pay



Jennifer McCarey posted a great Facebook message on behalf of the Glasgow Unison branch.

For everyone who thinks that women workers won’t vote for strike action, for everyone that thinks that home carers, cleaners and catering workers won’t vote for strike action. For everyone that thinks equal pay will go away. This ballot result is evidence that the lowest paid public sector workers in Glasgow, 84% female workforce, are ready to strike, unless the council delivers

Now for years we have been hearing that just about everyone you care to mention - council officials, local councillors, MSPs and MPs - all firmly believe in the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

Well now it's time to 'walk the walk' - instead of just 'talking the talk' because, as everyone knows, actions speak much louder than words

  

Glasgow - More Breaking News! (30/05/18)



Unison Glasgow have just returned an impressive set of results from a consultative ballot in which all branch members were asked about their willingness to take strike action in the ongoing fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council.

Now I really hope the Council's political leaders and senior management are listening because there is support for industrial action right across the board, from all sections of the Unison membership, which is quite remarkable. 

So the onus is now on Glasgow to respond with serious proposals for completing the settlement negotiations within a reasonable time period, otherwise the City Council is likely to face the 'double whammy' of strike action over equal pay and being hauled back into the Employment Tribunals.

The Claimants Side meets next week (Tuesday 5th June), but there's no doubt that Unison and the GMB have played their part in persuading the Council to face up to its obligations and inject a sense urgency into talks which have been dragging on for months.   

  
UNISON Glasgow - equal pay ballots results

UNISON members in Glasgow City Council and its ALEOs have overwhelmingly supported taking strike action in a series of consultative ballots.

Well done to all those members who participated in the ballots.

The results clearly demonstrate that UNISON members are willing to take strike action if Glasgow City Council does not address our three current demands on equal pay.

These three demands are:
  • ·       The individual claimants compensated for past discrimination as soon as possible.
  • ·       A new job evaluation scheme which delivers pay equality and pay justice for all.
  • ·       The council to commit funding to ensure pay equality, justice and security for all.

UNISON conducted seven consultative ballots covering 10,417 members.  
The results were:

Group                                     Yes (%)            No (%)             Total votes (turnout %)            Total Members

Cordia Home Care                 628 (99.7%)     2 (0.3%)           630 (72%)                                872                                         
                       
Cordia Facilities, Admin,        578 (96%)        23 (4%)            601 (57%)                                1,050
Care Services
(exc home care)
                         
Education                               961 (86%)        151 (14%)        1,112 (41%)                             2,732
                                                                                                                       
Social Work                            673 (79%)        179 (21%)        852 (27%)                                3,109
                                                                                                           
LES, Corporate/Financial,      226 (51%)        217 (49%)        443 (25%)                                1768               
Chief Exec, DRS, Parking,
Property, CGI 

Glasgow Life                           182 (82%)        40 (18%)          222 (31%)                                714                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Community Safety Glasgow  36 (86%)          6 (14%)            42 (24%)                                  172


Glasgow Council/ALEOs        3,284 (84%)     618 (16%)        3,902 (37%)                             10,417

The combined result in Cordia from the two membership group ballots was 98% for strike action, on a 64% turnout.

All seven membership groups supported strike action, with turnouts ranging from 72% to 24%.  Across Glasgow City Council and its ALEOs the combined total turnout was 37%. 

Next Steps
UNISON Glasgow Branch elected representatives will now consider our next steps. As previously reported the meetings with Glasgow City Council were more positive last week, and we have asked for some important commitments and details in writing. We have been promised a formal council response in the next few days.

If an acceptable response is not received then clearly the branch will have to consider requesting formal strike ballots from UNISON Scotland.

A further update will be issued as soon as possible.

And Finally……
Finally, another big “Well Done” to all those members who took part in the consultative strike ballots.

UNISON Glasgow Branch, 84 Bell Street, G1 1LQ,  30 May 2018


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