Council is urged to settle pay claims

A DEMONSTRATION will be held today urging the council to settle more than 10,000 equal pay claims.

Unison members and supporters will gather outside Glasgow City Council at 4.30pm for candlelit protest.

The union said many of the claims date back to 2006.

During the protest a banner will be unveiled, warning that staff will “walk away” if claims are not settled.

In August, lawyers representing low-paid female council workers won a long-running equal pay case.

Campaigners argued that women such as home carers were left earning thousands of pounds less than men in jobs such as gravedigging or refuse collection.

Glasgow City Council said it would consider the impact of the ruling but no timescale has been given for any potential settlements.

A Unison spokesman said: “Whilst the Council Leader and the First Minister have said that they wish to settle the claims for past pay discrimination there is no definite timescale for this and the council are still seeking leave to appeal the second part of the Scottish Court of Session judgement to the UK Supreme Court.

“It is hoped that the first meetings between the council and the union’s legal representatives on 4th and 11th December will be meaningful however we need to keep the pressure up.”