Equalities
REPORT 2004
Council fails to meet on equalities
In the 2003 Annual Report I made a very upbeat submission based
on the resolution of several long outstanding harmonisation
issues and I said that bode well for 2004. How wrong could I
have been?
I have to report that in the past 12 months the council have
not met with us even once to discuss Equalities matters.
Our attempts to gain disabled parking provisions for staff
who work in the City Chambers complex were rebuffed with responses
focusing on parking provisions which are a distance from the
quadrangle.
At a time when the Council are seeking to achieve Investors
in People and to get the Equal Opportunities tick it is ludicrous
staff with disabilities have to struggle up and down the gradient
of the High Street when the council could give access to the
quadrangle or designate disabled parking spaces directly to
the rear of the Chambers.
Perhaps the council's attitude to good employment practices
is best summed up by a recent discussion at the Joint Consultative
Committee where I had raised the possibility of exchanging letters
of agreement to allow all staff to have access to the provisions
of the Domestic Violence Agreement which currently only applies
to staff who were previously employee by the old District Council.
My request was refused out of hand with the Head of Human Resources
telling me any member of staff not covered by those provisions
could seek discretionary special leave from their department.
So if you are not an ex-District employee you cannot ask your
employer to link you into support agencies - you are not guaranteed
paid leave to make re-housing arrangements or to sort out alternative
education provision for your children - your absence (if you
get time off) will not be treated in confidence (i.e. it will
be recorded) - you will not have the right to seek re-deployment
and you will not be able to access counselling.
All these provisions are of paramount importance if you are
trying to break away from a violent or abusive partner.
Informal comments from a senior official have highlighted the
attitude that if we want an improvement in one area we will
have to make concessions in other areas - "you get nought
for nought"!
Hence the barren year!
And I fear the next 12 months will fare no better with the
council being more focussed on downsizing to ensure the new
Council HQ will accommodate all those who require to work in
it. We will also see the Council trying to impose a new Job
Evaluation Scheme which will not be the one negotiated at Scottish
level and which had been checked out by the Equal Opportunities
Commission to ensure all inequalities were removed from the
processes.
Attack on Pensions
In previous years we have highlighted the inequalities in accessing
pension provision when you are not married to your partner.
The fight to seek full access for heterosexual partners (irrespective
of marital status) is continuing and our conference motions
on this issue have been important in developing UNISON's Campaign.
We now face a bigger challenge with the government proposing
to put provisions in place which will mean taking early retirement
will not be allowed until you are 55 and if you get it before
you are 65, your pension will be reduced!
This is a direct attack on the income of the future retired
members and will only create poverty for local government workers.
The focus now is on colleagues south of the border who will
be affected from this coming April with the new regulations
not coming into Scotland until 2006.
We must all support the coming Campaign of opposition to these
changes and I cannot stress how important this issue is going
to be for us.
Self Organisation
2004 saw the creation of a Branch Black Members Self Organised
Group which is now operating in parallel with the Branch Disabled
Members Self Organised Group. Members of both groups also play
an active role in the respective Scottish Committees and it
is heartening to see the branch having influence at that level.
The Branch has been represented at all UNISON's Self Organised
Group Conferences with reports being submitted to the Branch
Committee for information and action.
Attempts were made to establish a Women's Self Organised Group
but that foundered due to lack of interest. There will be another
meeting arranged some time after the AGM.
Celebrate the Difference
This has been the most negative report I have made for several
years and it may be my thoughts have been influenced by the
tragic events which occurred in the Far East on Boxing Day.
I also have concerns for Salma Mohamed Eltayeb Ali, a young
girl sponsored by the branch who lives in the Sudan where we
are seeing a corrupt government conducting ethnic cleansing.
I believe the basis for equalities is recognition that no two
people and no two cultures are clones of each other. There are
always differences and there is always diversity. Recognise
that is fact, respect the rights of others to be different and
we will then perhaps have cause for celebration as in doing
so we will treat others as equals.
Bring that perspective into the workplace and we just might
achieve an organisation which actually treats equalities with
actions rather than rhetoric.
My thanks go to all those who have helped me in the past year
to fulfil my role as Branch Equalities Officer with particular
appreciation going to the all important office staff.
Irene Stout
Equalities Officer
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