Well Done, Glasgow!

So well done to Frances Stojilkovic and all the women who did Glasgow so proud in  the ongoing fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council - 50 years after the landmark Equal Pay Act was introduced back in 1970.

At one point, in what was a fascinating and thoughtful programme, Anne Robinson seemed to doubt whether the latest generation of women really had the confidence to stand up for themselves and get the job done.

Yet Anne's meeting with the Glasgow's Home Carers proved inspirational, the icing on the cake, so to speak - integrity and honesty are the words that came to my mind.

Because Anne Robinson recognised not just the hard work, care and 'love' involved in the Home Carers' jobs - she also understood their determination not to be fobbed off any more with endless excuses from the council bureaucrats and 'jobsworths'.

I take my hat off to all those involved.

  

Song for Glasgow - 'Are We Family?'

I have learned some quite incredible news about Glasgow City Council's pay arrangements the other day.

During the white-out weather conditions at the end of February and into early March 'non-Cordia staff' who were required to work received a special Emergency Weather payment of triple time - whereas their Cordia colleagues received only their normal rate of pay.

Now the hypocrisy involved in this bizarre treatment is quite breathtaking because while council leaders like to refer to the 'Council Family', the reality is rather different.

In effect, one part of the council workforce is being treated like a 'black sheep' while another is being treated as a 'prodigal son'.

So how can anyone have the brass neck to refer to the Glasgow 'Council Family when this is going on? 

I wonder if Glasgow's 85 local councillors will speak up about this latest outrage and assert their authority over senior officials who have got the council into another fine mess?

I hope so and they could do with some some support from Glasgow's MSPs and MPs who are quick to speak their minds on all kinds of issues, but have been very quiet over the fight for equal pay.

In the meantime A4ES, GMB and Unison are raising separate claims at the Employment Tribunals on behalf of thousands of staff who have lost out to the tune of hundreds of pounds, if they worked all three days.

Because senior council officials have refused to do the right thing and agree that everyone who worked under those atrocious conditions should be treated equally - instead of Cordia staff being treated, yet again, as 'second class citizens'.