MSPs step up pressure on equal pay issue
4 Oct 06
Warning to councils and Executive to resolve pay problem
MSPs have criticised local authorities for failing to tackle the issue of equal pay, and called on the Scottish Executive to provide more proactive leadership.
Holyrood's Finance Committee yesterday agreed to increase the pressure on councils and the Executive to resolve the long-running issue, which is meant to eradicate pay discrepancies between male and female workers in Scotland's councils.
Several councils are looking at implementing new pay scales which could lead to men earning less money. As a result, unions have already threatened industrial action at Falkirk Council. Only one local authority in Scotland - South Lanarkshire - has reached an agreement with its unions.
Rowena Arshad of the Equal Opportunities Commission warned the committee that current job assessments did not meet the requirement to ensure that women were not disadvantaged under new pay scales.
Sorting out equal pay and backdated claims is expected to cost about £500 million.
The Executive said councils had received increased funding in recent years to take the equal pay costs into account and that councils were aware of their responsibility.