labour councillors deny equal pay to low paid women

I see that South Lanarkshire Council has been instructed to pay about 3,000 or so of their lower paid staff, mostly women, £75 million in back pay. The women have been fighting for this money, equal pay actually, for near on a decade. In fact some of the claimants never lived to collect what they were entitled to.


Even today, having lost their ten year delaying action to pay the workers what they in fact were entitled to all along, South Lanarkshire Council are still in denial. The women were seeking equal pay, not a 10 % rise in their wages, not a 5% rise in their wages, no, not even a 1% rise in their wages. No, none of that. They merely were asking to be paid what they were lawfully entitled to under equal pay legislation. An Act that came alive in 1970, forty four years ago.


A senior figure said that South Lanarkshire has long been committed to equality of pay for those in comparable jobs, regardless of gender and we are glad to be in a position to continue to lead the way on this issue by settling with these claimants. Oh, is that so?!


The Chief Executive of South Lanarkshire Council goes on about people being the Council's most valuable asset and how they work in partnership with their Trade Union colleagues, so they, the Council, can continue to take a lead in delivering best practice in their people policies and procedures. We, South Lanarkshire Council, are the area’s “natural leader” and we aim to set a good example for other employers.

The Council's values include the following commitments:

The Council will be honest, open and consistent in all our dealings with people, so that we can earn and maintain their trust. We will demonstrate decisive and impartial leadership. We will promote the development of a just and equal society.

We will behave with courtesy, decency, dignity and tolerance.

We will be an excellent employer, leading the way in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. We will treat our employees fairly and we will not tolerate unfair discrimination. 

So, where is the decency, the dignity, the trust, the promotion of a justice, equality and the bit about not tolerating unfair discrimination.


Not only that, it is a labour controlled Council who have no doubt been in the vanguard of this ten year denial of workers rights. Yes, a labour Council. Overwhelmingly labour with 37 elected councillors, 11 of whom are female.

Present day Labour assails us with their commitment to fairness and equality, including equal rights and equal pay for women. They even 'fix' party lists to load up with more women.

I will remind you of some history: 'Labour stands for equality between men and women: equal political and legal rights, equal rights and privileges in parenthood, equal pay for equal work.' That is lifted directly from the Labour Party Manifesto of 1923.

It is a disgrace and it evidences the true values of a Labour Party who have consistently ridden on the backs of working people to the Party's benefit. In fact it is logical for them, the Labour Party, to keep working people down, otherwise where would they find a back to steal a lift on?