Glasgow, Equal Pay and Senior Officials (24/10/18)

I find it intriguing that lots of angry SNP voices are attacking the trade unions on Twitter over equal pay - yet these same people have nothing to say about the role played by senior council officials in Glasgow.

The fact is that the GCC's current chief executive, Annemarie O'Donnell defended the Council's 'unfit for purpose' WPBR pay arrangements for years and also tried to appeal this decision instead of accepting the Council was completely wrong over the WPBR and that the 'game' was finally up.

So if you ask me, Annemarie O'Donnell is a roadblock to serious negotiations and a just settlement of Glasgow's  outstanding equal pay claims - and while the unions have learned from the past, the council's senior officials remain stuck in the past.

  

Riddle Me This, Glasgow? (23/10/18)

I couldn't sleep last night as I tossed and turned trying to find an answer to the following question:

"If senior officials in Glasgow City Council have always acted under the direction of the Council's political leaders, then who authorised GCC's chief executive (Annemarie O'Donnell) to take legal action and seek leave to appeal the landmark 'unfit for purpose' WPBR judgment of the Court of Session?"

Now this action resulted in months of delay between the original judgment in August 2017 and the subsequent 'leave to appeal' hearing in December 2017 which Glasgow City Council lost again - by another unanimous decision in Scotland's highest civil court.

So who insisted on this course of action - senior officials in GCC or the political leadership of the Council?

I think we should be told - in the interests of openness and transparency.

  

Riddle me this, Glasgow? (01/09/18)

I posed this 'riddle' back in May 2018 when Glasgow City Council first came under real pressure for dragging its feet over equal pay settlement settlement negotiations with A4ES, GMB and Unison.

Four months on and the situation hasn't changed, in fact things have got worse because another four months have gone by and not a single thing of substance has been agreed.

The proof of the pudding is that serious negotiations over the Pay Gap and Male Comparator Jobs have still to get off the ground.

So I say again to the Council bosses and bigwigs:

"If equal pay settlement 'negotiations' with Glasgow City Council are making such good progress, why are the trade unions (GMB and Unison) balloting their members on industrial action?"

  

Riddle me this, Glasgow? (11/05/18)

Ask yourself this question, Glasgow - then answer it as honestly as you can.

"If equal pay settlement negotiations with the City Council are making such good progress, why do the trade unions (Unison and GMB) think it necessary to consult their members on industrial action?"

  

Get Serious, Glasgow! (03/05/18)

Lots of readers have been in touch with comments and questions about the industrial action ballots in support of the fight with Glasgow City Council for equal pay - here's what Stefan and I had to say on Facebook.

Hi Mark

What is the opinion of A4ES on the Strike Ballot papers issued to all Unison members. 

Would striking be recommended by yourselves?

J

Hi J

It's a consultative ballot rather than an official strike ballot, at this stage, and the purpose is to test the level of support for taking industrial action, if the City Council continues to drag its feet over settlement negotiations and replacing WPBR. 

So I would certainly encourage people to vote Yes!

Because by doing so they will send a strong message to the Council to 'get its finger out'! 

Mark Irvine


Hi Mark 

That's exactly my thoughts as well. So fed up with the council and their delaying tactics and not progressing with the actual settlement negotiations. 

Thanks for the clarification. 

J


HELL YES!

several folk have asked how I would vote in the ballot.

Easy - YES!

why? :

1 time to stand up and be counted

2 it has already made the council sit up and take notice. The threat of an imposed interim payment has been taken off the agenda for the moment and the council are finally looking at our proposals seriously

3 the council read out a prepared statement objecting - I will cover this when I have exact wording. Your industrial and political weight is making all the difference. We need to keep this up

4 a consultative ballot commits us to nothing but shows we’re serious. There’s a long way to go to an actual strike. This is just the first essential step.

5. The council literally laughed at suggestion they will produce counter proposal by 22nd. There is still no sense of urgency from the officers. They need to get serious. The ballot will help.

Your biggest weapon is your solidarity. 

Keep it up.

Stefan Cross