Glasgow - Equal Pay Update
Unison's Glasgow City Branch has released an update on equal pay which includes some suggestions about upping the campaign in the New Year to lobby local Councillors and Glasgow MSPs.
If you ask me, this is a great idea because all the politicians I've ever met (far too many to mention) sit up and take notice when the people they are supposed to represent get in their faces - in the nicest possible way, of course.
Now some 'jeremiahs' will say this is a big waste of time - these people always do, but this kind of campaigning produces results because it influences the political weather.
After 10 months of going round and round in circles, Glasgow finally started to negotiate seriously with the Claimants representatives in November 2018 - after the process of going back to the Employment Tribunals had started up again and after Glasgow's first ever equal pay strike in October 2018.
So Glasgow's politicians need to get the message that the Claimants will only agree to a settlement which is based on the pay and pensions they have lost after working under the 'unfit for purpose' WPBR for the past 12 years - and counting.
The more people who get involved the more successful this campaign is likely to be - because the Claimants are not being 'greedy' or 'unreasonable' and their voices need to be heard.
Many hands make light work and if thousands of Claimants make a point of supporting this campaign in the New Year, Glasgow's politicians, including the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, will get the message.
Equal Pay Compensation Dispute Update
You will be aware of that our Claimants Side Legal Team (Action4Equailty / UNISON / GMB / UNITE) remain in serious negotiations with Glasgow City Council on the above issue. The UNISON Branch expects a formal report from our Claimants Side Legal Team around 21 January 2019. We hope for an acceptable outcome.
However it is possible that the outcome of the current negotiations could be unacceptable. If that is the case then one of the main reasons is likely to be the size of the total cash pot which the council has been willing place on the table to fund the individual compensation payments.
UNISON will therefore be stepping–up its lobbying of all Glasgow MSPs and Councillors during the Scottish Parliament and Council Budget setting processes in January.
The next UNISON Equal Pay Campaign meeting will be on Thursday 10th January, 6pm, UNISON Branch, 84 Bell Street. These meetings are open to all UNISON members.
There will also be a joint trade union protest outside the City Chambers on Thursday 24 January at 12.15pm. Please get along if you can.
Finally, the UNISON Glasgow Branch Committee will meet on 24 January to consider the report from our Claimants Side Legal Team. That meeting will then consider whether further strike action is required.
