Date: Friday 6 June 2014
UNISON, the trade union representing the equal pay claims of low paid women workers in North Lanarkshire, have reacted with utter disbelief to today’s statement released by North Lanarkshire Council regarding Equal Pay of low paid women workers
Low paid women workers, represented by UNISON, have been fighting for over 6 years for fair pay.
North Lanarkshire Council eventually conceded at an equal pay tribunal in March 2014 that it had wrongly scored the jobs of thousands of low paid women employees. Many hundreds of low paid women are still waiting for compensation.
These women are the backbone of public services in North Lanarkshire they include home support workers, playground supervisors, school meals supervisors and school patrol staff. They are entitled to feel frustrated at the council’s slow progress.
North Lanarkshire, Policy and Resources Committee met in private to discuss the issues involved. And UNISON had hoped the outcome of this special meeting would be North Lanarkshire Council putting forward a pragmatic sensible solution which we could discuss. However their statement just further entrenched the council’s position.
John Mooney, UNISON North Lanarkshire Branch Secretary, said ‘North Lanarkshire Council are denying low paid women workers their rightful rates of pay. They are treating our members with contempt’
John Mooney continued, ‘This was an ideal opportunity for North Lanarkshire Council to propose a pragmatic and sensible way forward to settle their equal pay obligation. They know UNISON is trying to be reasonable. But they have simply entrenched their position and are effectively saying low paid women have to wait even longer for the pay they have a right to expect by law.
John Mooney continued, ‘UNISON have no choice but to consider a period of sustained action, it seems it is the only way to ensure low paid women in Lanarkshire will get the pay which is rightly due to them.’
END