Union Ballot - Vote No! (26/06/14)

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.