City council votes to end equal pay row

GLASGOW City Council has voted to end the long running legal battle with unions and staff over equal pay.

Councillors agreed not to seek an appeal to the Supreme Court and instead continue to negotiate with the claimants.

Council leader Susan Aitken said she was “pleased to lead the council to this decision to end the current legal action and instead focus on resolution though negotiation”.

All four parties on the council agreed the move at an emergency meeting today, before the deadline for an appeal to the Supreme Court tomorrow.

Council officers will now hold fortnightly talks with trade unions and lawyers towards settlement of the thousands of outstanding claims.

GLASGOW City Council today abandoned its efforts to appeal an equal pay ruling.

The City Administration Committee voted not to appeal to the Supreme Court and instead to seek negotiations with the claimant lawyers and union representatives to reach settlements.

The equal pay issue has dogged the council for several years and it has fought though the courts to prevent what could potentially be a pay out of hundreds of millions of pounds.

The vote was welcomed by Unison, which said it was “a great day for low paid cleaners, carers, caterers and others” who spent 10 years waiting for pay equality.

Chairwoman of Glasgow City branch Carol Bell said: “This is a great day, but just the first day in the process of moving to equality – because settlement takes time.

“Our members have waited long enough for the fair and equal pay they have worked hard for and deserve. It’s not the lifetime cost of pay inequality, just a ten year slice into that injustice. And that injustice ends now.”

The SNP group, when it took control of the council last May, said it would settle the equal pay issue but until now has continued the legal process while holding talks with the claimants.

Labour said there are questions over how the bill will be paid for and whether it will impact on jobs and on the ability to deliver services.

Labour leader Frank McAveety said it had been a long standing issue “with no answers”.

He added: “”Reaching an agreed settlement will take time. Throughout that process, Labour will continue to ensure that there are no job losses, that no-one becomes poorer as a result, and for the fair deal our city deserves from the Scottish Government.”