Scottish Labour Conference Briefing
Equal Pay & Single Status
Introduction
This briefing sets out UNISON Scotland’s position
on equal pay and single status in Local Government. This is a major
issue of concern to large numbers of workers and their families
across Scottish local government.
Equal Pay in Local Government
UNISON Scotland is extremely concerned about the slow
rate of progress towards reaching agreements on Single Status. The
current situation is:
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Only three councils have concluded an agreement
(South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Moray).
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A significant number of councils have made very
little progress in developing proposals.
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Several authorities have presented final proposals.
In these areas there are active negotiations or the proposals
have been the subject of membership ballots. (Glasgow is among
those who have balloted for industrial action).
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Falkirk Council has issued notices of dismissal
and re-engagement to staff. North Lanarkshire has imposed their
pay and grading scheme. Others have intimated that they will
do the same. Sacking staff is never the appropriate response.
These authorities should return to the negotiating table to
resolve the outstanding issues.
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A large group of authorities are still developing
proposals. This includes detailed discussions with the trade
unions, mainly around the structure of the job evaluation scheme.
UNISON is focused on progressing agreements but it
is the responsibility of local authorities to develop proposals.
Too often councils are withholding vital job evaluation details
– information which is essential for the trade unions if we are
to negotiate the implementation of equal pay and build staff confidence.
What have they got to hide?
Scottish Labour Policy Programme
UNISON welcomes the commitments set out in ‘Scotland’s
Future’ the report of the Scottish Policy Forum that will be considered
at this conference. There are important sections on this issue in
the Communities report. In particular:
"Scottish Labour recognises that the quality
of local services depends on the staff delivering them and we want
to ensure that they are esteemed, well trained and properly paid."
And specifically on equal pay:
"We want to build on the work we have already
done to address the inequalities that persist between women and
men, particularly in relation to pay and tackling gendered stereotypes.
The new Gender Equality Duty places the onus on organisations to
fair treatment of women and men in the delivery of policy and services,
as well as in their employment, and we are determined to make steady
progress on this, including the promotion of best practice through
procurement. We shall take specific action to deal with the continuing
problem of occupational segregation. Scottish Labour recognises
the importance of addressing past discrimination on equal pay. We
will strive to ensure that all public service organisations make
provision to meet their equal pay obligations."
We would ask delegates to support these commitments
and for Labour representatives at all levels to deliver on them.
Next Steps
No-one wants lengthy disputes or to divert public
resources to lawyers through litigation. Whilst some authorities
have reached agreement others, including Labour controlled authorities,
have not negotiated seriously or have produced schemes that simply
do not meet the equality requirements. This is resulting in large
groups of staff who feel badly let down by their employer.
Government also has responsibilities for delivering
equal pay in the public sector and has accepted those responsibilities
in health, education and other public services. We need a local
government financial settlement that recognises these costs and
for local authorities to recognise their responsibilities. It is
time to deliver this long standing obligation and to ensure justice
for low paid women.
For further information visit our website www.unison-scotland.org.uk
Or contact Dave Watson, Scottish Organiser at d.watson@unison.co.uk
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