The Single Status Review was a Labour initiative Bob, and you know it. Besides, that Labour councillor has cheek calling it 'poverty pay', it's Labour that have imported hundreds of thousands of cheap migrants to keep private sector pay down to the saem levels.

No Stephen, it is you that is wrong. The single status agreement was agreed under the Major Government.

Was it? Agreed by the Unions I take it?

From what I can gather the heckling was as a result of the traditional outbreak of the "galloping trots".

Is that as close as I can expect to "Sorry, I got that wrong"?

Ha! A Politican asked me to say 'sorry'!

Who introduced the no-win no-fee lunacy that's helping force through these 'equal-pay-cuts'? Blair!

So... let's get this straight. You say Labour introduced single status... I say you're talking out of your arse because the Tories did.

You then say it's Labour's fault for introducing no-win no-fee because it's introducing pay cuts?

Are you MAD? The employers signed up to an equal pay agreement. They delayed implementation for 10 years and then idiots like you want to blame the unions because workers wanted their back pay.

Tory/Lib Dem Birmingham wants the low paid to right the employers wrongs by cutting wages to pay for the increases... and you want to blame the government for saying low paid people shouldn't have to pay through the nose for their legal rights.

Terrific!

There never were any wrongs to right. Local authorities advertise jobs, at an adevertised rate of pay, and people are free to choose whether to apply. The whole thing is nonsense, and a waste of taxpayers money, whoever introduced it.

Look where socialist employment legislation gets you.

So... the Tories are socialists, eh? Presumably you were happy with the 'No Irish, No blacks, no dogs' adverts from landlords on the basis that "They advertise rooms, people are free to apply" principle... if only that rotten old anti discrimination law hadn't come along to ruin their fun.

There are an awful lot of us who were sickened by the behaviour of these ignorant trots. I should point out that the vast majority were in the visitor's gallery and it was only a tiny unrepresentative group who heckled from the floor. Having said that, it was unacceptable, discourteous and so stupid that the booing continued through an announcement that the Prescription Pricing Authority was NOT going to be privatised. I can't pretend to speak for every UNISON member - after all I wouldn't want people thinking I was speaking on behalf of the Trostskyite idiots - but I for one would like to apologise for the stupid behaviour.

'So... the Tories are socialists, eh?' (Bob Piper)

They are fast getting that way. The only really good bit of employment legislation this government has introduced in my view is the minimum wage. Reducing the unfair dismissal time bar to one year was good also. Their health and safety legislation goes too far and makes it virtually impossible for people who have suffered from a mental illness to get a job without lying. We've gone over the top with anti-discrimination legislation too, these equal pay-cuts prove it.