Glasgow's Fight for Equal Pay

Here's a very measured and thoughtful comment from a regular reader in response to my post about 'Conspiracy Theories and Equal Pay'.

Typical politician spreading lies, it's what they do, it's why they command enviable salaries, I am an SNP member and disappointed in some of their MSP's, all those promises in their manifesto on equal pay. 

Susan Aitken telling anyone who would listen that we were striking for no reason as we had won, publicly announcing an offer in December and pay out in April, the offer is now highly unlikely in December we are advised, talking about the budget cuts and the taxpayer picking up the bill, making it look like these people who have been robbed by the GCC are causing hardship for Joe Public.

Well the fact is, Labour should have been run out of town for this, now they are appearing at rallys as though they are on our side! Anyone buying that wants their head examined!

By that same token, SNP knew about this and used it in their manifesto as a bargaining chip, have publicly played the wounded animal card and martyrs for having to clean up Labour's mess, telling everyone they would fix it, but behind the scenes pulling every trick in the book to stall.

Nobody was bussed in from England, stop trying to score political points at our expense and instead do your job and get on with getting these people paid.

I

I couldn't agree more and having supported the SNP myself, more often than not, in recent years it doesn't give me any pleasure to say so.

But sometimes you've got to stand up and speak the truth as you see it, without fear or favour, and I have no hesitation in saying that the SNP's 'boycott' of the October 23rd March and Rally was a big mistake.

Which is now being compounded with these ridiculous smears about impostors being 'bussed in' to exaggerate support for such an historic event.

None of the City's MSPs turned up for the Equal Pay Briefing organised by A4ES back in February 2018 either, so it seems reasonable to conclude that Glasgow's politicians are trying to 'stay above the fray' instead of getting involved on behalf of their local constituents.

So we'll see what happens in the weeks ahead because if there is not a settlement by Christmas, as promised, the focus will return to the courts (Employment Tribunals) and, of course, the wider public campaign to deliver equal pay in Scotland's largest council.   

   

Equal Pay and Conspiracy Theories (23/11/18)

I have never had James Dornan down as a conspiracy theorist, but the MSP for Glasgow Cathcart surprised me the other day with this Tweet in which he alleged that Glasgow's March and Rally in support of Equal Pay on 23 October 2018 - was bolstered by 'bussed in' activists.

Now I was there on the day, unlike Glasgow's MSP who all managed not to be present on the day even though it would have been a perfect opportunity to connect with their local constituents and see for themselves that this was a proper industrial dispute (about the lack of negotiations) and not a party political event. 

I have to say I don't think that the MSPs absence was coincidental because A4ES staged a briefing session on the 'unfit for purpose' WPBR pay scheme back in February 2018 - yet not a single Glasgow constituency MSP came along to that event either.

James Dornan SNP
What would have been the point Mark? It was organised to voice concerns about things not being done when I was confident they were being done. The workers were fully entitled to march, not so sure what Labour Party members and bussed in activists had to do with it though

Mark Irvine

One point would have been to engage with the claimants who would have told you their event had nothing to do with party politics. Your presence would also have exposed the nonsense of 'bussed in' supporters - where do you get such tripe? 

https://action4equalityscotland.blogspot.com/2018/10/cybernuts-conspiracies-and-equal-pay.html …

   

'Cybernuts', Conspiracies and Equal Pay (29/10/18)

A kind reader sent me this Tweet which was posted on the day of Glasgow's historic strike by 8,000 low paid workers in support of their fight for equal pay with Glasgow City Council.
ali @alibali50 - Oct 23

Apparently many of the marchers have been bussed up from England while the women actually affected are sitting at home being exploited by their aggressors. We all know the ££ situation SNP found Glasgow CC in - this behaviour and cost may delay the settlement.

Now I've spent lots of time on Twitter in the past week patiently explaining that the strike and the wider equal pay campaign has nothing to do with party politics.

But some 'Cybernuts' simply refuse to believe anything other than their own ridiculous conspiracy theories and what a doozy this one is - that many Glasgow equal pay marchers were actually impostors who were bussed up from England to discredit the SNP!

What an insult to the thousands of women and men who went on strike last week and if you ask me, this kind of barmy comment does the SNP a great deal of harm.