Debating the Issues


Lots of readers in North Lanarkshire have got in touch to say that they are contacting their local councillors, MSPs and MPs to discuss equal pay and recent developments at the ongoing Employment Tribunal - where the Council's case, by all accounts, is taking a terrible beating.

Now as regular readers know North Lanarkshire has been forced to concede (at the Employment Tribunal) that many key female dominated jobs have been scored and graded incorrectly, despite denying this to be so for years - going back to 2006 in fact.

So here are some points that readers may wish to raise with local politicians  because there's no doubt that in my mind that the council's workforce and the wider public deserve a proper explanation 
  1. How could these 'mistakes' possibly have happened?
  2. How does the Council explain being in 'denial' for so many years? 
  3. Who is being held to account for the mess the Council has made of equal pay?
  4. How and when will these various jobs (such as Home Support Workers) now be regraded properly?
  5. How can the workforce have any confidence in senior managers who have been saying for years that the Job Evaluation scores are correct?
  6. Is an investigation underway and will disciplinary action being taken against any of the senior managers involved for not doing their jobs properly and failing to protect the interests of the workforce? 
I will draw up some additional questions on other topics as well, but if readers have their own suggestions drop me a note and I'll share these on the blog site. 


More MSPs (12 April 2014)



As promised, here are the contact details for 'list' MSPs whose Central Region constituency covers the North Lanarkshire Council area.

The purpose of a 'list' MSP is to provide local people with a choice about who can represent you or take up issues on your behalf.

So if a local constituency MSP doesn't seem to interested in your problem, then you are entitled to take it to someone else on the regional constituency list who might be more sympathetic to your cause.

I haven't had any recent dealing with any of these MSPs, but I do know that Richard Lyle was previously the SNP Group leader on North Lanarkshire Council.

Siobhan McMahon, Scottish Labour Party

Email: Siobhan.McMahon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour Party

Email: Mark.Griffin.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


Richard Lyle, Scottish National Party

Email: Richard.Lyle.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


Margaret Mitchell, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Email: Margaret.Mitchell.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


Margaret McCulloch, Scottish Labour Party

Email: Margaret.McCulloch.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


John Wilson, Scottish National Party

Email: John.Wilson.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


Clare Adamson, Scottish National Party

Email: Clare.Adamson.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

North Lanarkshire MSPs (11 April 2014)



Lots of people have been asking what they can do to help bring about a fair and just settlement of their equal pay claims against North Lanarkshire Council (NLC). 

Well one practical things claimants can do is to contact local councillors, MSPs and even MPs to explain recent developments at the Employment Tribunal and ask local politicians for their support.

So here are contact email addresses for MSPs whose local constituencies cover the North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) area - there is another category of list MSPs whose regional constituency covers a wider and I will publish these details, separately, in the next day or so.

I will say that Alex Neil (now Airdrie and Shotts) certainly played a very positive role over equal pay in South Lanarkshire (as a regional constituency MSP) and I imagine he would be delighted to hear from people in North Lanarkshire as well although, to be fair, every MSP ought to be stand up stand up for their constituents.  

I will also be posting a list of issues that people might wish to raise with their various councillors, MSPs and MPs when these meetings take place, and always remember - many hands make light work.

If people let me know how they get on, I'm happy to share the information on the blog site.  


Jamie Hepburn MSP - Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Constituency

Email - Jamie.Hepburn.msp@scottish.parliament.uk 


John Pentland MSP - Motherwell and Wishaw Constituency


Email - John.Pentland.msp@scottish.parliament.uk 


Michael McMahon MSP - Uddingston and Bellshill Constituency


Email - Michael.McMahon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk 


Elaine Smith MSP - Coatbridge and Chryston


Email - Elaine.Smith.msp@scottish.parliament.uk 


Alex Neil MSP - Airdrie and Shotts


Email - Alex.Neil.msp@scottish.parliament.uk 

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