It's time to 'Get Equal!' at the parliament

by Nicola Morris

Arrangements are now under way for UNISON Scotland's activists to spell out their message on equal pay and mark International Women's Day by holding a "Time to Get Equal" event/lobby at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 8 March.

Leaflets, badges and postcards for members to lobby their MSPs are all planned. Details are still being finalised and branches will be provided with them very shortly. So keep an eye out for more information and get behind the campaign!! See www.unison-scotland.org.uk/equalpay

UNISON is working hard to ensure all our members get fair treatment and equal pay at work. Major overhauls of pay and conditions packages across our public services have brought the issues of pay inequality to the fore.

UNISON wants to deliver equal pay and fair compensation for those who have suffered discrimination. We also want equal pay to be introduced without pay cuts, job losses or service cuts.

Local authorities have been trying to do this with little or no cost. UNISON says that this is not possible - we are being proved right! We have campaigned for the Scottish Executive to fund the creation of pay systems in Local Government that are transparent and free from sex bias.

UNISON members deserve fair pay scales and deserve compensation for past discrimination. Other members' pay, jobs and conditions should not have to pay for this. Nor should the public through cuts in services.

In December 2006, the Local Government Service Group Conference agreed a motion recognising many of these issues and calling for the mounting of a public campaign around them, culminating in the lobby of the Scottish Parliament referred to above.

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