FMK is critical of the invite to Greta Thunberg to the COP26 conference in November and

suggests that surely we can find a young Scot to fly the climate change flag for Scotland (Letters, February 6).

I agree – and a few pages on, there she was: Holly Gillibrand, aged 14 from Fort William, who is in contention for Young Scotswoman of the Year for her terrific work on environmental issues.

Give this young woman the invitation to fly the flag for Scotland. I am sure she would do us all proud.

A Martin

Glasgow

WHILE it’s great that the council are finally paying the money that should have been paid years ago that does NOT give them the right to cut public services to cover the cost (Glasgow City Council still dealing with ‘hundreds’ of equal pay claims)!

These back payments should be coming out of the councillors’ pockets, not the public purse.

There are five libraries in Glasgow under threat because of this bill... my local library is one of them. That’s a disgrace. I don’t have much of a life but one thing I like to do is go to the library when I have music homework, and during the three months I write actively, I go to a writing group and a knitting group in the library.

If my local library closes, Glasgow City Council will once again be removing VITAL services for disabled people. I’m sick of the cuts. My point is, the cost should be covered but not at the expense of lifeline services.

Clare McFadden

IT’S not just 150 equal pay claims unpaid. There are hundreds more than that. Bectu the union failed to submit its members claims, so they never got their claim and were told they won’t get it until 2021.

Then you have all the people who were not in a union, the work never told them about it, so again they have just submitted their claim and won’t get it until 2021.

Lastly, the people who were in the unions but weren’t told they could put a claim in, of which there are hundreds if not thousands. They will not get their money until 2021.

On top of that, they are still underpaying everyone and that won’t get resolved until the regrading in 2021, so everyone who got their money last year will be due another couple of years’ money.

The total bill the council will still have to pay out will be around the range of

£250million to £300m.

John Smith

ANYBODY who got money from Glasgow City Council deserves it – however, there are some who didn’t get anything even though their claims were accepted. The union is blaming the council but they are every bit to blame as they don’t fight for their members.

My husband worked as part of the environmental squad, a squad who cleaned dirty houses i.e houses covered in rubbish from floor to ceiling, people who had done the toilet in wash-hand basins, baths, etc., to name but a few. The Glasgow Times did a spread on them a couple of months ago. They did not get anything even though they are the lowest paid in the council.

One excuse from them was that the squad was set up as a male-only squad so didn’t qualify for anything as the claim was for equal pay for women. Absolute rubbish as when the squad was set up there were four of them... three men and a woman. He has also worked with many women over the years and they were all paid the same rate. The women got pay-outs but the men didn’t.

When I told the union lawyers this they said that the council considered it to be a male-only job, I’m sure the women that worked on the squad are happy to be seen as men, NOT. They told us to take it to a tribunal but we wouldn’t win. The council and unions are a joke.

Angie Davis

THE BBC are cowards (Michael Stewart dropped by BBC after Jim Traynor comments). They did the same to Naga Munchetty when she spoke truth to power. They really are a spineless, snivelling organisation. I’m pleased they will get the kick up the backside they deserve with licence fee withdrawal.

They delivered Brexit and now scamper about like weasels trying not to upset anybody who has an aggressive PR spin output

Brian McAllister

SEEMS to me that Michael Stewart has been thrown under a bus for speaking his mind. I thought the BBC supported freedom of speech – but it seems like they may do only to a point. Jim Traynor himself has never been a shrinking violet when it comes to speaking his mind but I don’t recall him being dismissed for so doing!

JP B2019

AS someone who does pay their TV licence fee, I’m all for people who speak their mind. However, Stewart is just out to cause controversy. He’ll find a home with like-minded individuals at BT Sports.

Donald Webster