Union Democracy (02/07/14)
Here's a quote from Unite which accompanies their ballot on a new pay and grading structure in North Lanarkshire which I wrote about the other day.
"Unite has worked hard to obtain these proposals whilst protecting your ongoing terms and conditions and feel that these moves are positive in relation to pay equality and preventing the need for future equal pay claims against the Council. Ultimately this benefits all employees as there is less of a strain on the Councils (sic) budget."
Now I don't know what the strain on the Council's budget has to do with anything because North Lanarkshire's problems with equal pay are entirely of the Council's own making.
So why should the workforce hold back when the senior officials of the Council who were supposed to be looking after their interests have made such a mess of job evaluation?
While handing themselves big bonuses via a highly controversial performance pay scheme, as exposed by The Sunday Herald.
If you ask me, Unite members would be better served if the union spent more of its millions (which is members' money of course) campaigning on issues like equal pay and much less in bankrolling the Labour Party.
Now that would be a big step forward for trade union democracy and common sense.
Union Ballot - Vote No! (26 June 2014)
I have now seen the union 'ballot' documents which I mentioned yesterday - they are from Unite but the GMB and Unison may have similar plans.
In any event, my suspicions have been confirmed because there's no doubt in my mind that the union is up to no good if they are recommending changes to the pay and grading structure while important settlement talks are underway.
If you ask me, it makes absolutely no sense unless the union is trying to do the Council a 'favour' - and why would they do that when thousands of equal pay claims remain unresolved.
The Unite documents says that most people will be slightly better off as a result of the proposed changes, but what they don't explain is what people stand to gain if they leave things as they are until all the outstanding equal pay claims are settled.
Unbelievably, the covering letter from Unite (which is recommending acceptance) says:
"We have a clause in the Agreement which allows the proposals to be revised if current Equal Pay Employment Tribunals throw up any issues"
But exactly what does this 'mumbo jumbo' mean - who would be daft enough to trust the Council in the present situation and why don't member's have a copy of the proposed Agreement so they can see what it says for themselves?
So if I were a union member in North Lanarkshire I would be voting No and kicking up hell at the union holding a ballot when lots of people are going on holiday and without any answers to all the ongoing issues to do with equal pay.
And isn't it odd that there's been no information from the Council (who is after all the employer) about what's going on?
If you ask me, the union are not being completely straight with its own members and is in real danger of doing the employer's dirty work.
I have now seen the union 'ballot' documents which I mentioned yesterday - they are from Unite but the GMB and Unison may have similar plans.
In any event, my suspicions have been confirmed because there's no doubt in my mind that the union is up to no good if they are recommending changes to the pay and grading structure while important settlement talks are underway.
If you ask me, it makes absolutely no sense unless the union is trying to do the Council a 'favour' - and why would they do that when thousands of equal pay claims remain unresolved.
The Unite documents says that most people will be slightly better off as a result of the proposed changes, but what they don't explain is what people stand to gain if they leave things as they are until all the outstanding equal pay claims are settled.
Unbelievably, the covering letter from Unite (which is recommending acceptance) says:
"We have a clause in the Agreement which allows the proposals to be revised if current Equal Pay Employment Tribunals throw up any issues"
But exactly what does this 'mumbo jumbo' mean - who would be daft enough to trust the Council in the present situation and why don't member's have a copy of the proposed Agreement so they can see what it says for themselves?
So if I were a union member in North Lanarkshire I would be voting No and kicking up hell at the union holding a ballot when lots of people are going on holiday and without any answers to all the ongoing issues to do with equal pay.
And isn't it odd that there's been no information from the Council (who is after all the employer) about what's going on?
If you ask me, the union are not being completely straight with its own members and is in real danger of doing the employer's dirty work.
Stop Press! (25 June 2014)
A reader from North Lanarkshire has been in touch to say that she has received ballot papers from her trade union about a new pay and grading structure within the Council.
Now I haven't seen the documents as yet, but I find it highly suspicious that a trade union should be conducting a ballot about new pay arrangements and term-time arrangements when there are so many issues unresolved from the ongoing Employment Tribunal.
If you ask me, the timing is also completely mad as the schools are now breaking-up for the summer holidays which means that people are unable to discuss what's going on at their workplaces, as normal.
I am making arrangements to see these papers although if anyone can scan and email them to me, that would help speed things up - markirvine@compuserve.com
In the meantime, if I were a trade union member in North Lanarkshire I would certainly not be voting to support or bring in any new changes at this pint in time.
Instead I would insist that the Council is required to explain how it intends to settle all the outstanding equal pay claims and address the evident failings in its job evaluation scheme (JES) which have been exposed so brutally at the ongoing Employment Tribunal.
Remember the Employment Tribunal has only been suspended to allow settlement discussions to take place and will start up again in late August/September 2014 if agreement is not reached.
A reader from North Lanarkshire has been in touch to say that she has received ballot papers from her trade union about a new pay and grading structure within the Council.
Now I haven't seen the documents as yet, but I find it highly suspicious that a trade union should be conducting a ballot about new pay arrangements and term-time arrangements when there are so many issues unresolved from the ongoing Employment Tribunal.
If you ask me, the timing is also completely mad as the schools are now breaking-up for the summer holidays which means that people are unable to discuss what's going on at their workplaces, as normal.
If you ask me, the timing is also completely mad as the schools are now breaking-up for the summer holidays which means that people are unable to discuss what's going on at their workplaces, as normal.
I am making arrangements to see these papers although if anyone can scan and email them to me, that would help speed things up - markirvine@compuserve.com
In the meantime, if I were a trade union member in North Lanarkshire I would certainly not be voting to support or bring in any new changes at this pint in time.
Instead I would insist that the Council is required to explain how it intends to settle all the outstanding equal pay claims and address the evident failings in its job evaluation scheme (JES) which have been exposed so brutally at the ongoing Employment Tribunal.
Remember the Employment Tribunal has only been suspended to allow settlement discussions to take place and will start up again in late August/September 2014 if agreement is not reached.
Instead I would insist that the Council is required to explain how it intends to settle all the outstanding equal pay claims and address the evident failings in its job evaluation scheme (JES) which have been exposed so brutally at the ongoing Employment Tribunal.
Remember the Employment Tribunal has only been suspended to allow settlement discussions to take place and will start up again in late August/September 2014 if agreement is not reached.
