UNISON wins £ multi-million compensation for 1400 women in Fife Council

Date: Wednesday 28 October 2015

UNISON has reached a multi million pound settlement with Fife Council for over 1400, mainly low paid women UNISON members, for their equal pay claims.

UNISON members will now be properly recompensed for historic discriminatory pay practices within Fife Council. It is a deal worth £millions and will include compensation for members back pay in some cases to 2006.

UNISON has been at the forefront of the legal campaign to fight for equal pay for women workers and to ensure they receive the back pay to which they are entitled.

Dougie Black, UNISON regional organiser for Fife local government said, ‘This has been a long time coming, many claims stretch back to 2006, we can only thank UNISON members for their hard work and patience. We will now discuss individual claims with the employer to ensure each claim is calculated properly. This a good day for low paid women workers and UNISON is proud to have been a part of it.’

Suzanne Craig, UNISON’s legal officer said, ‘UNISON will be seeking early payment from the employers. Regrettably it took the threat of proceeding to an Employment Tribunal to focus the employer’s minds to settle, but it is great news for everyone that we have agreed.  This settlement also agrees the legal principles for moving forward to ensure wherever possible that job evaluation and pay practices remain free from discrimination in the future. Members will receive individual letters, in due course, outlining their settlement figures. I want to thank everyone for their patience.’
 

UNISON continues to fight for equal pay particularly for low paid women across Scotland

END

Notes

• UNISON is the public services union and the largest union in Scotland, and the largest union in local government across UK.
• UNISON is negotiating equal pay claims in councils across Scotland. It has been running equal pay claims in Fife since 2006
• UNISON has agreed the principles of the settlement and how we calculate each settlement. We now need to agree each individual settlement a process which we will complete as soon as possible

UNISON Fife supports anti-blacklisting motion to council

Thu 27 June 2013

UNISON Fife supporting a sister trade union, Unite, at a demonstration outside of Fife House this morning.  The demonstration was part of a national campaign to ensure that companies involved in operating a ‘blacklisting’ system are excluded, where legally possible, from our preferred list of suppliers, a campaign that UNISON Fife fully supports.

Fife Council is embarking on a number of projects which will see new schools, new affordable housing and new care homes being built here in Fife.  The practise of ‘blacklisting’ is archaic and draconian and has no place in modern day society.  It ruins reputations, leaves individuals unable to secure employment and sees families become destitute.  A motion to Fife Council’s Executive Committee on June 27th calls on the Council to support Trade Unions in a bid to eradicate such a unethical practise.

UNISON seeks independent probe on bullying and harassment at Adam Smith College

Date: Monday 20 February 2012

UNISON has called on the Education Secretary Mike Russell to set up an independent investigation into allegations of bullying and harassment at Adam Smith College in Fife.  The union, which represents 100 staff at the college, intervened after press reports and concerns expressed by members regarding a “culture of bullying and harassment” by some senior staff.

Douglas Black, UNISON Regional Organiser said:
“There is a pressing need for these issues of bullying and harassment to be investigated to ensure our members can work in an environment free from intimidation.

“The allegations are so serious that I understand the Scottish Funding Council - a public body with responsibility for all Further Education Colleges Governance - has been asked to provide a report for Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education. This is welcome but  it doesn’t go far enough. Given the level of public exposure this issue has and the many concerns being raised confidentially by our members there is a need for thorough independent investigation. I have written to ask the Cabinet Secretary to initiate this.”

Douglas Black said:
“Bullying and harassment in any shape or form is simply not acceptable in Adam Smith College or in any walk of life and UNISON will actively pursue all such issues on behalf of our members.”

“This is not a matter that can simply be dealt with internally within the college - given the fact that the allegations go to the very highest level. An investigation independent of the college is the only way that our members can have confidence that these issues will be dealt with on an open, transparent and fair basis.”

ENDS

Note to editors
UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, including staff in further education. UNISON represents 100 staff at Adam Smith College.

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