UNISON members in South Lanarkshire Council continue their campaign for equal pay

Friday 11 April 2014

UNISON Scotland is writing to 6000 UNISON members who work in South Lanarkshire Council to give them another opportunity to make a new claim for equal pay.

The trade union believes that some staff may not be receiving the same pay as those in other job groups who do work of equal value. If that proves to be the case, UNISON will argue that their pay should be increased now, and any shortfall over the past 5 years should be paid as back pay.

Staff who may be eligible include home carers, caterers, cleaners, nursery nurses and school support assistants.

South Lanarkshire was the first council in Scotland to bring women and men together under a single status pay system, however UNISON’s experts believe that the South Lanarkshire scheme does not comply fully with subsequent advances in equality law.

Commenting on this latest action, Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish secretary, said:

 “UNISON’s wants a long term settlement that is fair to all. We recognise it’s a difficult task to compare very different jobs; that is why legal claims take so many years to decide. However UNISON is committed to negotiating improvements with the council so that our members do not have to wait years for pay equality”

UNISON Personal Assistants Project launched in South Lanarkshire

#JoinUNISON
Union project offers personal assistants (PAs) and support workers training and employment rights advice

The public services union UNISON's new PAs project has launched in South Lanarkshire.

It offers networking, advice and support to personal assistants (PAs) and Support Workers who work for disabled and elderly clients.

PAs are being invited to a series of meetings in July and August around South Lanarkshire to find out more.

#JoinUNISON Trade union membership pays dividends for UNISON members around Scotland

Monday 11 March 2013

UNISON said today that a Living Wage deal at one of Scotland’s biggest universities is the latest success in the union winning hundreds of thousands of pounds for members.

Low paid staff at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are celebrating the decision to start paying the Living Wage of £7.45 per hour.

Today’s news is the latest in a series of recent successes for the public services union,  including on equal pay, other Living Wage agreements and nearly £1/2 million in personal injury settlements in the last three months.

There have also been numerous local branch successes such as £200,000 in back pay for catering workers in South Lanarkshire and millions of pounds in unpaid wages due to nursing and other staff in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Keith Galbraith, Branch Secretary at UWS, said: “We are very pleased the university agreed after we campaigned for the Living Wage. 

“This will mainly benefit catering and cleaning staff and some library workers.  It is excellent news for our members who work hard in contributing to the excellent student experience at UWS.” 

Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Secretary, said today: “We congratulate our branch at the University of the West of Scotland for this latest success.

“The Living Wage is a key part of UNISON’s bargaining strategy and each win like this helps low paid staff at a time when they really need it.

“Across the UK people are worried about their jobs. In Scotland we’ve lost 57,000 public sector jobs since the start of the Coalition Government’s austerity measures. 

“Our members know that when public services are under unprecedented attack from Government, they need their union to stand up for them.

“We are today (Monday) launching a recruitment campaign highlighting that UNISON is essential cover when people are worrying about jobs and the impact of the cuts on their pay and conditions.”

UNISON branch successes include at South Lanarkshire Council where investigations after a member noticed problems with her pay found that 500 catering workers had lost out on an average two days pay per year for six years.

The total amount of back pay could be more than £200,000.

Branch Vice-Chair Tony Slaven said, “Members had queried the calculation before but it was only once UNISON took up the case that progress was made.

“Members from all over the council have been calling us to look into their own situation.  We ‘re delighted to have been able to get members the money they are due for the days they worked.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working in public services in Scotland.

2. UNISON’s other recent successes are featured in news releases on our website at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/index.html 

3. UNISON’s recruitment campaign is being backed up by TV and newspaper advertising and a range of digital activity. The TV ad is here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3BT_A_8A8I&feature=youtu.be  

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Union welcomes South Lanarkshire Living Wage uprating - but 'council funded scandal' on contractors' pay

11 Feb 2013

UNISON has welcomed the announcement that South Lanarkshire Council will uprate the Living Wage for their employees to £7.56 and that they will also ensure that all workers paid below £21,000 (for a 37 hour week) will receive an above the national pay award pay rise in April.

South Lanarkshire Branch Secretary, Stephen Smellie, said, “The Council, and Council Leader Eddie McAvoy, are to be congratulated on this decision to recognise the need to protect and improve the pay of their low paid staff. These workers, who are mostly women, include cleaners, school catering staff, home carers, school crossing patrollers, care assistants and clerical staff, all of whom deliver crucial services to local communities and who have been hit hard by low wages and high prices.”

This is the third year running that the Council have made efforts to protect the lowest paid. In 2011 they introduced the Living Wage and gave a pay rise of £250 to the low paid when there was a national pay freeze. In 2012 the Living Wage increased to £7.20 and again the low paid received £250 whilst the pay freeze continued. Now in 2013 the Living wage is increasing to £7.56 they are consolidating the £250 into salaries and intending to pay the national pay award of 1%.

Stephen Smellie said, “A few years ago we decided to campaign locally for the Living Wage and to highlight how the lowest paid were suffering most due to years of below inflation pay awards and the pending pay freeze. We lobbied all Councillors and argued our case. In 2011 we negotiated the introduction of the Living Wage and the £250 for the low paid. Having won that case we have continued to work with the Council to maintain and develop this policy.

The benefit to the low paid workers is obvious but it also has a benefit to the wider community. It is well known that better paid staff leads to better and more reliable services. It also provides a boost to the local economy as the additional money is mostly spent locally. The final benefit is that some of these workers now come off benefits saving the tax payer money.”

There are thousands of workers in Lanarkshire who do not benefit from the Living Wage in the private and voluntary sector where the National Minimum Wage of £6.19 for over 21 year olds is the going rate. This includes companies who are contracted by the Council to deliver services on their behalf. UNISON recently highlighted this in a letter to South Lanarkshire Council’s Leader and Chief Executive.

Stephen Smellie said, “The Council recently invited tenders to deliver home care services. The companies who currently do this pay their staff just above the poverty rate of the National Minimum Wage and most of them do so whilst offering only zero-hour contracts. So these staff not only get very poor wages when they work but they have no guaranteed number of hours that they will be asked to work.

“This is a Council funded scandal. We wrote to the Council asking that they ensure that companies who they will contract to deliver services are required to pay at least the Living Wage. Unfortunately they replied that they are unable to do so as, according to advice from the Scottish Government that to do this would be in breach of European law.”

UNISON believes that Councils are able to ensure their contractors pay the higher rates of pay and have sought their own legal advice.

Stephen Smellie continued, “We are working with a number of trade union and community groups locally to organise a campaign to take up this issue of extending the Living Wage beyond the Councils and NHS. We would appeal to workers in the private home care companies to contact us to discuss how we can build a moral campaign in Lanarkshire for economic justice.”


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#StrongerTogether in @unisonscot - Adtrailer in Motherwell #joinUNISON

22 Oct 2012

Here's the Adtrailer at Dalziel House in Motherwell.

North Lanarkshire branch are out and about recruiting.

Keep the pictures coming in!







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#StrongerTogether in @unisonscot - bus ads at Wishaw General today

22 Oct 2012

Buses with UNISON's Stronger Together recruitment campaign ads were at Wishaw General today.

Lanarkshire Health branch were busy recruiting.



The Adtrailer was also there - as part of recruitment events across Lanarkshire continuing this week.

Do send in pictures and if using Twitter use the #StrongerTogether & #joinUNISON hashtags.

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#StrongerTogether in @unisonscot - Lanarkshire branches launch recruitment campaign

Convener Lilian Macer and Vice Convener Stephen Smellie joined branch colleagues in Lanarkshire for a rainy launch yesterday of the Stronger Together in UNISON local bus adverts.

Send in pics and other info about your recruitment activity and we'll get them online.

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Acclaimed Spanish film Even the Rain to be shown in Lanarkshire - Sat 15 Sep

An acclaimed Spanish film is the focus of an event to promote discussion around social and economic justice in Lanarkshire.

 

Take One Action Film Festivals and UNISON South Lanarkshire Present EVEN THE RAIN, a free community screening at the Blantyre Miners Welfare Community Cinema on Saturday 15^th September at 6.45pm.

The event seeks to use the dramatic events depicted in the film to highlight themes relevant to Scotland today. Stephen Smellie of UNISON explained,

“The movie is, first of all, a great film and anyone who likes good films will have a great night out. We are pleased to be able to use the Community Cinema provided by the Miner’s Welfare whose purpose is to provide entertainment at a reasonable cost for local people.

However the film also provokes thought about issues such as who has the right to control a nation’s resources? Should water supply be controlled for profit? Can working people resist big companies, bankers and governments in order to take greater control over their lives?

Scotland’s public water supply is seen by some as an opportunity to make money for a few rather than as an essential resource for us all. The fight to keep our water in public hands is ongoing.” 

Nominated for 13 goyas (Spain's Oscars), Iciar Bollain’s dramatic rollercoaster penned by Take One Action patron Paul Laverty (Looking for Eric) stars Gael García Bernal as Sebastian, a filmmaker caught up in Bolivia's mass protests of spring 2000 against the government’s decision to privatise the national water company. As Sebastian vainly tries to tell the story of Columbus' colonisation of the new world, his cast and crew get drawn into a contemporary version of events, blurring the boundaries between past and present, fiction and reality. In fact, the cost of water in Bolivia had gone up by three hundred per cent. But although Bollain’s story is finally one of the triumph of the people, the privatisation of basic public services remains at the centre of a powerful debate about poverty and development across the globe.

There will be a post-film discussion with Stephen Smellie from UNISON Scotland, Mark Langdon, Chairman of GMAC (Glasgow Media Access Centre) and other guests.

In addition the acclaimed Edinburgh-based Valentina and Voces del Sur will be playing songs of exile, love and social change, inspired by tango and folk music traditions from Latin America.

Tickets are free and can be reserved by contacting South Lanarkshire UNISON at unison@southlanarkshire.gov.uk  or phone 01698454690.

END

For further information regarding the Blantyre event contact Stephen Smellie on 01698 454690 or 077 400 96864.

For more information regarding the Take One Action and Even The Rain contact Emma Pattinson on 0131 553 6335 or 0780 582 7888

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UNISON members in equal pay victory

Date: Tuesday 19 June 2012

   

UNISON members made further progress in the campaign for equal pay today with an important victory in South Lanarkshire.

Although South Lanarkshire was the first council in Scotland to bring women and men together under a “single status” pay system, the Glasgow Employment Tribunal has ruled that the 2004 South Lanarkshire scheme does not comply fully with subsequent advances in equality law.

Although this preliminary ruling does not award compensation to any individual worker, it does enable any council employee to compare their pay with colleagues employed in work of equal value and the council must now explain all pay differences on an individual basis.

Commenting on the 247 page judgement from the tribunal Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Secretary, said:

“There is a lesson here for all employers. It is not enough to unify pay systems for the mutual benefit of woman and men. True pay equality requires a culture of continuous improvement under which the pay gap between workers is recorded, monitored and, ultimately, closed. Pay systems must also be transparent – every worker has the right to look at the salary scale and understand how they are paid and why. And every worker has the right to know how comparable workers are paid and why.

“South Lanarkshire received credit for being an early implementer of single status but changes to case law and regulation have raised the bar since 2004. It is clear from the tribunal ruling that the council has some work to do if it is to deliver equality in a transparent manner. UNISON looks forward to delivering those changes in partnership where possible while negotiating compensation for any member underpaid in the past.”

Peter Hunter, UNISON Regional Organiser, said:

“While we recognise this is just a preliminary hearing on the design of the pay system and not an outright victory for individual workers, we call on the council to abandon its adversarial posture. Further litigation will only entrench past positions and delay transparency, equality and justice for workers. It would be a tragedy if further progress on equality was thwarted by years of expensive appeals and individual litigation.”

ENDS

Notes to editors
1. UNISON is Scotland’s leading pursuer of equal pay claims with over 25,000 ongoing tribunal cases.

2. UNISON rejected single status pay systems in 75 per cent of Scottish councils and is actively pursuing “continuous improvement” in every Scottish council through a combination of measures including negotiation, appeals, reviews and litigation.

3. Although Russell v South Lanarkshire Council is already one of the longest equal pay cases in Scottish legal history it is only at a preliminary stage.

4. The Equality Act 2010 offers employers a complete defence to all equal value claims if they can show they operate an equality proofed pay system. The Russell case is limited in effect as it only removes this initial bar on equal value claims. All claims must now be assessed on an individual basis. No equal value comparators have been established and all individual claims can be defended where the employer can justify individual pay differences in a non-discriminatory way.

5. UNISON Scotland’s campaign for transparency and continuous improvement in pay equality relies on the mandatory provisions of The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 which require: the proactive elimination of pay inequality; publication of an equal pay policy; annual publication of the pay gap between women and men; publication of target outcomes for pay equality; involvement of workers in the delivery of pay equality; gathering of evidence of progress on pay equality; and biennial publication of reports on progress towards pay equality.
 

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UNISON defends Council Living Wage from attack by MSP

Monday 5 March 2012
News release from UNISON South Lanarkshire:
Margaret Mitchell Conservative MSP for Central Scotland has been criticised by union leaders and Councillor Jackie Burns, Deputy Leader of South Lanarkshire Council.

Mitchell has criticised South Lanarkshire Council for the implementation of a Living Wage of £7.20 from 1st April, claiming the cost will lead to cuts in services and jobs.

However, Stephen Smellie, Secretary of UNISON's South Lanarkshire Branch said:

"Margaret Mitchell fails to note the hugely poitive impact which the living wage has on the families who will gain from its introduction. It is primarily low paid women who make up the workforce who have benefitted from the Living Wage. They will now be better able to buy a spare pair of shoes or a winter coat for their kids.

"Studies have shown that introducing the Living Wage leads to a better motivated staff and an improvement in service delivery. This is why it is supported by, amongst many others, Tory Boris Johnson in London. Therefore Margaret Mitchell is wrong to raise the spectre of cuts in services. The Council have planned for and budgeted for the Living Wage. The trade unions are engaged fully with them in seeking to protect services, despite the cuts which flow from the economic policies of the Tory led Coalition government.

"She also fails to note the impact that the Living Wage has as a boost for the local economy. Any increase in pay to low paid women is spent, mainly, in local shops. I would have thought she would have welcomed this boost to the local economy."

Stephen Smellie said:
"I am aware of workers in the community and voluntary sector as well as the private sector who do not earn the Living Wage and I would hope Margaret Mitchell would support UNISON’s campaign for the Living Wage to be extended to those sectors.

"The Living Wage is a good news story for everyone."


Note for editors:
The statement from Margaret Mitchell is copied below for your information.
News
02 MAR 2012
Forcing businesses to pay living wage would be counterproductive
 
In today's Local Government and Regeneration Committee debate, Scottish Conservatives urged caution on the introduction of a living wage. There are concerns that the higher wage could lead to a reduction in local services or job opportunities.
Scottish Conservative Local Government Spokesperson, Margaret Mitchell urged for the payment of the living wage to be voluntary.
Margaret Mitchell MSP said:
"All things being equal, the living wage is an admirable aspiration and one which we would want to achieve.
"In the region which I represent, South Lanarkshire Council spent £3.5 million in 2011/12 introducing the living wage. From April 2012 a further £2 million will be spent increasing the rate of pay to £7.20. In total this council will have spent a staggering £5.5 million on the living wage.
"If the costs of introduction and payment of the living wage are so high and this then is seen to result in a corresponding reduction or cut in local services and job losses, this could understandably lead to resentment.
"This is particularly true given that public sector workers' wages are higher than many in the private, voluntary or third sectors, because taxpayers' money has been used to make this a priority over service delivery.
"Furthermore, payment of the living wage must be voluntary. In the current economic climate the priority must be to maximise employment opportunities and any attempt to force businesses to pay the living wage would be counterproductive."

End of statement by Margaret Mitchell MSP Scottish Tory Local Government spokesperson

UNISON's better way for local government includes a Living Wage for all - find out more in our local government manifesto here:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/UNISONScotlandLocalGovermentSummaryManifesto2012.pdf

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Cuts will hit the vulnerable - South Lanarkshire UNISON

Wednesday 26 January 2011 


The impact of the government's policies will be felt hardest by older people, disabled people, children at school who have additional support needs and poor families. This is the conclusion from an analysis of South Lanarkshire Council's budget cuts package.

Of the £27.7m of cuts that the council need to make following cuts in the budget as a result of the Tory-led government's public sector cuts, 20.6% of the proposals are directly targeted at these vulnerable groups.

The analysis of the proposals has been carried out by the UNISON in South Lanarkshire.

The union's South Lanarkshire branch secretary, Stephen Smellie, said:

"Of the proposals being considered by the council, £5.7m of them are either cuts in services, increased or new charges which directly impact on older people, disabled people, children with Additional Support Needs or poor families. If these are selected by the councillors this would represent 26.3% of the total cuts package.

"This is despite the council trying to protect the most vulnerable by firstly making savings in other areas.

"The government claim that we are all in this together is shown to be a lie. Whilst the poorest and most vulnerable in South Lanarkshire are paying for the crisis they had nothing to do with causing, the bankers are still to get their bonuses and MPs debate whether to give themselves a pay rise.

"Even at this late stage we are urging the council to look again at these proposals and try to protect the most vulnerable.

However it is government policy which needs to change."

The UNISON analysis has been sent to all South Lanarkshire councillors and council directors.


Click here for South Lanarkshire cuts will hit the vulnerable - a budget analysis by UNISON - January 2011' (pdf)


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UNISON’s green workplace project wins Climate Challenge funding

Date: 31 March 2010


Public service workers in Lanarkshire today won more than £60,000 for a trade union climate change project.

UNISON Scotland congratulated branch members in South Lanarkshire on their successful Climate Challenge Fund bid. The ideas they come up with for greening the workplace could lead the way for similar union work across the public sector.

UNISON South Lanarkshire Branch Secretary Stephen Smellie said:
“We are very pleased to have been awarded funding for our Green Workers project which will help contribute to Scottish climate change targets.

“The aim is to raise awareness of the carbon footprints of our members, give advice on how to reduce emissions and empower members to raise ideas on how to make a difference not only at home but in their workplace.”

The project will work with UNISON members across South Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire College, South Lanarkshire Leisure, Lanarkshire Joint Valuation Board and a number of voluntary and private sector employers.

It will focus on encouraging reduced emissions through energy efficiency and greener travel options. Members will be able to borrow energy monitors to check their energy use at home, and develop alternative public transport plans for each workplace. The UNISON branch will also audit its own activity to reduce carbon use – eg in communicating with activists and members.

UNISON Scottish Organiser Dave Watson said:
“This project will demonstrate the contribution trade unions can make to tackling climate change in the workplace by engaging with our members on the issue.

“By doing so members will not only start to reduce their own emissions but will be more likely to demand action in the workplace.

“More than two thirds of carbon emissions are work related and UNISON is encouraging similar action across Scotland.

“Most workplace projects on cutting carbon are led by employers. A bottom up project, promoted by the trade union, stands a much better chance of winning workforce support and making the real changes needed.

“As part of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, UNISON campaigned for the Climate Change Act 2009 to be as strong as possible with a clear duty on the public sector, ensuring it leads by example.

“All public bodies need to comply with that duty from January next year. We are calling for negotiated green workplace agreements to help them do that.”


ENDS


Notes for Editors:
1) The Scottish Government Climate Challenge Fund awarded £60,728 to this project, part of a £5.5m announcement. Details are at www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/03/31101337

2) UNISON has a Greening the Workplace toolkit for branches at www.unison.org.uk/green/pages_view.asp?did=7384

3) The STUC Scottish Government joint Communique on Climate Change is at www.stuc.org.uk/news/643/stuc-and-scottish-government-issue-joint-communique-on-climate-change
It promises partnership working to develop policies to green the workplace and states that: “The greening of the workplace has a central role to play in delivering emissions cuts and promoting environmental action throughout society. Worker involvement is the key to culture change in the workplace. Good practice developed in the workplace will also have a positive influence in the home and community.”




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