Labour MPs let us down on Equal Pay

Here is a link to the bad news that the Commons did not vote for mandatory equal pay audits.

To say that this is more than a little shameful would be litotes. (I think)

UNISON policy is clearly for mandatory pay audits - without this the largely non-unionised areas of the private sector where confidentiality of pay is often the rule will pose almost insurmountable obstacles to any attempt to establish equal pay.

In the run up to next week's NEC meeting I have asked some questions about the work UNISON did in Parliament to promote our policy - we need also to consider how to continue to pursue this objective.

Perhaps it is the sort of thing that needs to be in Labour's manifesto. Unfortunately whilst 14 Labour MPs voted with the Liberal Democrats and Welsh and Scottish Nationalists in support of UNISON policy, 273 Labour MPs supported the Government's capitulation to business interests (ignoring public opinion).

At least there are some Labour MPs prepared to support trade union policies.

Maintaining the tone of understatement I think this could be characterised as more than a little disappointing.

Not a penny off the pay! Not a minute on the day!

As I mentioned last week one of the stewards involved in the Leeds strike has been in London this week.

Glenn - the steward in question - has done three consecutive evenings of speaking at meetings about the dispute and has inspired and motivated a number of London trade unionists.

We need to get delegations of strikers down to London on a regular basis so that we can further publicise the dispute and raise funds to alleviate the hardship our members are experiencing on strike.

The Grauniad had a handle on the complexity of the dispute which the Council Leader didn't like but listening to Glenn I have been reminded how simple this dispute is.

Some workers are being expected to take a pay cut of up to one third - and the employer's latest offer is that they should work impossibly hard if they want to preserve their earnings.

I think there is a slogan for this...

Equal Pay debate at the UNISON NEC

As usual Wednesday's meeting of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) meeting received a confidential report on Equal Pay focusing largely on the continuing developments of case law in this area and the very great volume of litigation now under way across the country.

For legal reasons I cannot cover the detail of that report in this report. Branches should keep a close eye on the website and in particular should draw to the attention of local MPs UNISON’s response to the review of discrimination law.

I have expressed before my concern that the advice that we should not debate equal pay in our Conferences because of the avaricious attentions of the profit-seeking No Win No Fee solicitors is leaving us unable to debate policy on equal pay.

We can however debate equality issues more generally and it is encouraging that Motion 57 on Challenging Inequality is timetabled immediately after the General Secretary’s speech on Tuesday afternoon at Conference. Branches with something to say should get their name down at rostrum control to speak in support of the motion.

Equal Pay debate at the UNISON NEC

I can tell you that UNISON’s NEC today discussed Equal Pay. I can’t say much more, although I think I can safely mention campaigning for funding to fill the gender pay gap and that UNISON made a submission to the Discrimination Law Review, since they are pretty much in the public domain anyway.

Beyond that it is pretty safe to say that there is a lot of litigation, case law is developing apace and it all costs a fair bit. Of course this topic relates to the implementation of Single Status in local government, and the NEC sent its support to the 20,000 members who recently took strike action in Birmingham.

For detailed guidance on equal pay issues UNISON activists should continue to look out for the briefings that are taking place. Unfortunately we still won't be debating these issues at Conference, a state of affairs which I think is becoming untenable.