Mass strike wins historic step towards victory in Glasgow equal pay battle

Matt Dobson reports

In a historic announcement, trade unions and lawyers representing 13,000 workers have reached an “agreement in principle” to end the equal pay injustice suffered by low paid women workers in Glasgow for over a decade. The SNP administration in Glasgow has also confirmed an agreement has been reached. The deal is thought to be valued at around £500 million. 

This is a larger sum than the council were discussing a year ago. The decisive catalyst for this breakthrough is the colossal impact of the 8,000 strong 48 hour strike, in reality a working class uprising, by the workers and their trade unions on 23rd/24th October 2018, which shook the city and will be remembered as a great chapter in working class history.

The administration were fully aware that unless they moved they faced the prospect of more strikes, escalating further the political impact and the inevitable backlash against the SNP. The mood and confidence of the strikers to fight on has only increased since the strike action in October.

Isobel O ‘Brien told Socialist Party Scotland “Its been very emotional, we all deserve every penny we get having fought for so long. Thanks to your party for your support. Come to the City Chambers on January 24th at 12.15pm to celebrate and show them we can still mobilise”

Denise Philips, Unison Homecare convenor, who spoke at the Socialist Party’s Socialism 2018 rally told BBC’s Reporting Scotland, “They have been playing about and robbing us for years, they need to pay up now, hopefully it comes to fruition”. 

This is a historic turning point in the fight for equal pay but the process isn’t over. The “deal” still needs to be agreed by the City Administration. The claimants, the heroic low paid workers who have inspired trade unionists internationally, will also be the best judge of whether this proposed settlement meets the cost of what they are owed and rectifies injustice. Throughout this dispute mass meetings have made every critical decision and this will continue. 

Once the settlement for the more than a decade of injustice is finalised, the question then becomes of how an equality proofed Pay and Job Evaluation scheme for the council can be agreed. The trade unions, which have grown through the dispute with a new layer of activists and stewards energised, are in a strong position to combat any reticence from council officers and the SNP. 

It should also be noted that after claiming the use of financial powers such as borrowing to set a no cuts budget was irresponsible, the council have taken the option of securing a commercial loan to finance the settlement.

However, the repayment rates on this will be significant, running into tens of millions annually. The trade unions and working class communities will need to prepare to fight the attempts of the SNP-led council to carry out cuts to pay for the deal. At every stage the trade unions, and Socialist Party Scotland, have called for the cost of the equal pay settlement to be met by the Scottish and Westminster governments. These bodies could have taken the funds from the wealthy and big business rather than the wider working class.  

Socialist Party Scotland and our members who play a leading role in Glasgow City Unison will continue to give support and solidarity to the workers in the next stage of their struggle. 

Glasgow City Unison has produced a short statement for members below. 

GLASGOW EQUAL PAY UPDATE

1. Earlier this week the claimants’ campaign gave Glasgow City Council a revised proposal on a “Take it or Leave it Basis”. 

2. The proposal kept all the principles that the campaign has been built on: Value Equality inclusion Parity Consistency Clarity Transparency Protection Unity

3. The council negotiators agreed to take the proposal to Councillor Aitken with a recommendation. After some further discussion the Leader of the Council agreed to share that proposal with the other parties on the Cross Party Equal Pay Group.

4. Although the final, formal decision is made by the City Administration Committee later this month, the council issued the following statement today: “Glasgow City Council and the equal pay claimant group represented by Action4Equality, UNISON, GMB and UNITE are delighted to confirm that they have reached an agreement in principle to a package of payments to resolve historical claims for unequal pay within the claimant group.

“A report is being prepared for the City Administration Committee to approve the calculations and payment plan in the coming weeks. When the arrangements have been approved we can then start to calculate individual settlement figures.”

5. UNISON always takes care to ensure our advice and announcements are accurate and helpful to our members. So, we have to point out that the process is still ongoing. The Council statement is historic and greatly welcome. However, the City Administration meeting is the key day.

6. The council statement also helpfully points out the massive volume of complex work to convert this agreement into individual information for each member. That will take months of hard work by all sides. There will be no payments before the summer, at the earliest.

7. Although it is a stage in the process, it is a crucial and historic stage. We are grateful to all the campaign partners and the staff and elected members at the council. But the last word goes to the members of the union who’s decisive action created the campaign and changed Glasgow. Equal Pay Now!