BBC - Bollocks Broadcasting Company
Here's a report from BBC Scotland which is being widely ridiculed over its failure to mention Action 4 Equality Scotland, even though A4ES represents by far the largest number of Equal Pay Claimants in Glasgow City Council.
The report gives the deliberate impression that Glasgow City Council is sending out the settlement offer letters when, as a matter of fact, this is being done via the Claimants' representatives - A4ES, GMB and Unison.
I think it's also worth saying that the Council only delivered on its promise to resolve the equal pay dispute after defending its WPBR pay scheme in the courts for years - and that this battle only ended in December 2017 when the Court of Session, Scotland's highest civil court, dismissed Glasgow's attempt to overturn an earlier CoS decision (from August 2017) which judged the Council's WPBR pay scheme to be 'unfit for purpose'.
Now I've complained to BBC Scotland previously about A4ES being airbrushed out of history and if you ask me there is no excuse for this kind of shabby, slapdash, lazy journalism.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48358408
Glasgow City Council sends women equal pay settlement offers
Image copyright - GETTY IMAGES - Image caption Thousands of council workers staged a strike over the dispute
Female council workers affected by the equal pay dispute at Glasgow City Council are to receive equal pay offer letters in the coming days.
The long-running dispute centred on women who were paid up to £3 an hour less than male colleagues, despite being in the same pay grade.
The women affected will receive an average of £35,000 each under a settlement scheme announced in January.
The council said "individual offers" would be made to "thousands" of women.
Female council workers affected by the equal pay dispute at Glasgow City Council are to receive equal pay offer letters in the coming days.
The long-running dispute centred on women who were paid up to £3 an hour less than male colleagues, despite being in the same pay grade.
The women affected will receive an average of £35,000 each under a settlement scheme announced in January.
The council said "individual offers" would be made to "thousands" of women.
Deal struck over Glasgow equal pay dispute
What was the dispute all about?
Mandy McDowall, Unison regional organiser, said: "It's been a long road but in the coming weeks we'll finally see money being rightly put back into the pockets of Glasgow's low-paid women.
"This represents compensation for the pay lost due to a discriminatory pay and grading system in place for over 12 years and will be one of the largest redistributions of wealth in Glasgow's history."
Righting a wrong
A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: "The council has delivered on its promise to resolve the equal pay dispute and, having agreed a deal with claimants' representatives, is now able to make detailed, individual offers to thousands of primarily women workers.
What was the dispute all about?
Mandy McDowall, Unison regional organiser, said: "It's been a long road but in the coming weeks we'll finally see money being rightly put back into the pockets of Glasgow's low-paid women.
"This represents compensation for the pay lost due to a discriminatory pay and grading system in place for over 12 years and will be one of the largest redistributions of wealth in Glasgow's history."
Righting a wrong
A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: "The council has delivered on its promise to resolve the equal pay dispute and, having agreed a deal with claimants' representatives, is now able to make detailed, individual offers to thousands of primarily women workers.
Image caption - Susan Aitken
A WORD ABOUT NUMBERS
A WORD ABOUT NUMBERS
NOT AS BIG AS YOU THINK
In addition to the BBC ignoring A4ES ‘s role in the equal pay battle they also published the nonsense that the claimants will get an average of 35000 pounds each.
ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
So I could just let this slide or I could tell you the truth.
Ive decided better to tell the truth.
But once more i need to emphasise that actual numbers are confidential - so these are not related to a named individual
Second - its an AVERAGE - so for every person getting more there will be a person getting less. And remember if youve only worked in gcc since 2017 you aren’t going to get much. Or if you only work 10 hours a week, the same. And it does matter what job you do. But no I cant break this down as the negotiations were confidential. But if I were a janitor I would be especially grateful right now. (Don’t ask why )
And we cannot forget our poor colleagues who can only go back 5 years. That’s almost HALF the claimants. It’s just a fact that they will get much less than the claimants who’ve been in the fight since the beginning. If you’re in that group I hope you will still be pleased with what we’ve got for you but I understand your frustration.
And there are a very few people getting very big numbers. Congratulations to them. They worked for every penny. Be happy for them. (Safe assumption its not you!)
But spare a thought for the 200 people whose offer is ZERO - why? because their debts are bigger than their offers. It’s gut wrenching.
So what is the average - it’s approximately 22000 pounds.
Why the big difference ? Because the council numbers include employers national insurance and employers pension contributions. This is not your money but it is part of the cost to the council. Also their figures are gross- you have to take off tax,National insurance and fees and pension employee pension contributions (if youre in the scheme). Remember normal tax and NI is 31%
Anyway I hope that helps lower expectations
You’ll get your own numbers very soon.
Final reminder - DO NOT RING THE OFFICE ABOUT OFFERS
Reception staff do not know how offers were calculated.
Stefan Cross
