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In the Herald today:

SNP ministers have been accused of ‘betraying’ women as the public sector equal pay row continues with thousands of claims facing ‘indefensible delays’. Leading trade union GMB Scotland has warned the Scottish Government must now intervene to demand councils involved in disputes settle instead of taking cases through lengthy employment tribunal processes.

It goes on to say:

I have been taken aback by this. Even the Herald, I thought, would try this.

There is no mention of the fact that this scandal, all of it, was caused by decades of misogyny, and child abuse too, for that matter, within the Scottish Labour Party, at all levels.

Who runs and who has run Glasgow, these last 50 years and more?

The no overall control 1977-1980 was due to a Tory Thatcher surge.

See, even if you or your partner is still buying the Herald ‘for the other stuff’, buy the National?

Finally, AI know all about Labour’s disgrace:

How the Labour-Run Glasgow Council Betrayed Women Workers

• Implementation of a Discriminatory System: Despite warnings from unions like GMB and Unison, who walked away from negotiations due to fairness concerns, the Labour council imposed the WPBR in 2007. labourlist.org This entrenched inequality rather than fixing it, as female roles were devalued through complex rules favoring traditional male jobs. theguardian.com Critics argue this was a fundamental betrayal by Labour, the party that pioneered the Equal Pay Act, as it actively created a system that discriminated against women for over a decade. labourlist.org
• Defending the Scheme in Courts: The council fought the women’s claims through tribunals and appeals for years, ignoring union voices and frustrating efforts for justice. labourlist.org It only dropped appeals in 2017 after the Court of Session ruled the WPBR discriminatory, by which time the SNP had taken control. labourlist.org This prolonged the injustice, with council officers—who designed the discrimination—defending it in negotiations even after the regime change. e-space.mmu.ac.uk
• Political and Administrative Failures: Under Labour, the council prioritized other interests, such as protecting male-dominated pay structures, leading to accusations of shafting women workers. e-space.mmu.ac.uk +1 Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard later apologized in 2018 for the party’s role, calling it “one of the most shameful chapters in our party’s history.” labourlist.org The fallout nearly bankrupted the council, resulting in job losses and service cuts. talkingupscotlandtwo.com

How the GMB Union Betrayed Women Workers

• Conflicting Interests and Prioritizing Male Members: As a historically male-dominated union, GMB faced tensions representing both genders. e-space.mmu.ac.uk +1 In 2006, it negotiated deals that protected male pay at the expense of women, insisting on discriminatory terms favoring male members. talkingupscotlandtwo.com This led to accusations of conspiring with the Labour council to deny equal pay, including taking women to court. talkingupscotlandtwo.com
• Initial Reluctance and Delayed Action: GMB was initially unwilling to join the fight, lacking confidence in victory and refusing early involvement. open.edu It only ramped up after women turned to private lawyers like Action 4 Equality in 2017. open.edu No strikes were called under Labour control, but GMB organized action in 2018 against the SNP-led council, seen as political point-scoring rather than genuine advocacy. theguardian.com +1
• Hidden Deductions and Broken Promises: GMB, alongside other unions, promised members 100% of settlements without deductions, but entered a pre-negotiation deal with Action 4 Equality allowing 6.9% legal fees to be subtracted from all payouts—equating to millions—without informing workers. bbc.com Additionally, GMB failed to file timely claims for some, limiting back-pay to five years instead of up to 12 under Scottish law, blaming “wrong legal advice.” bbc.com Women like Audrey Masson felt “betrayed,” as they had only signed with the union, not private firms. bbc.com

Outcomes and Broader ContextThe 2018 strikes by over 8,000 women forced progress, leading to a 2019 agreement for back-pay and a new job evaluation. theguardian.com +1 However, compensation only covered up to 2018, and ongoing issues persisted, with some processes delayed by COVID-19.

open.edu GMB has since claimed credit for winning over £1 billion in equal pay cases UK-wide, including Glasgow, but critics argue this overlooks earlier failures.

gmb.org.uk

The saga highlights systemic gender discrimination in public sector pay, with similar issues in other Labour-run councils like Birmingham.

facebook.com

While the SNP administration faced blame for delays post-2017, the root betrayals are traced to Labour’s tenure and GMB’s conflicted role.

talkingupscotlandtwo.com

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotland

Click on the above.

Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04  Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON