A report by a committee of MSPs said that local authorities, trade unions, and lawyers needed to hold 'urgent discussions' on how to deal with equal pay in local government. Although an agreement on 'single status' had been reached in 1999, this had still not been implemented across all local authorities. The committee was deeply concerned by the 35,000 unresolved equal pay cases lodged with tribunals.
Source: Equal Pay in Local Government, 12th Report 2009, SP Paper 292, Scottish Parliament Local Government and Communities Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jun
A blueprint outlined ways in which the Scottish Government, local authorities, and key support agencies would work together to tackle all forms of violence against women.
Source: Safer Lives, Changed Lives: A shared approach to tackling violence against women in Scotland, Scottish Government (web publication only) and COSLA
Links: Report | SG press release
Date: 2009-Jun
The Scottish Parliament approved a Bill to extend hate crime laws to cover disabled people and those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual communities.
Source: Patrick Harvie MSP, Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Bill, TSO, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Scottish Parliament Official Report, Debate 3 June 2009, columns 18098-18126, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | MSP debate | SG press release | SAMH press release | Capability Scotland press release
Date: 2009-Jun
A report for the equality and human rights watchdog said that policies aimed at improving the quality of life for immigrants should be an integral part of Scotland's growth strategy.
Source: Sarah Kyambi, Room for Manoeuvre? The options for addressing immigration-policy divergence between Holyrood and Westminster, Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
A report examined the progress made by public authorities in Scotland towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people.
Source: The Scottish Ministers' Duty, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
The equality and human rights watchdog published a report that identified case studies demonstrating how public bodies in Scotland were meeting the race equality duty, disability equality duty, and gender equality duty.
Source: Organisation and Social Development Consultants Ltd, Capturing the Gains of the Public Sector Duties, Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland (0845 604 5510)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Mar
A committee of MSPs said that it supported proposals for strengthened legislation to protect victims of hate crime. The Bill concerned was subsequently approved in principle by the Scottish Parliament.
Source: Stage 1 Report on the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Bill, 6th Report 2009, SP Paper 225, Scottish Parliament Justice Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Scottish Parliament Official Report March 2009, columns 15871-15908, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Official Report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Mar
