Unions back action over equal pay

U.K.

Thousands of council workers in Glasgow in Scotland could be taking strike action on 29 and 30 March unless the local authority responds to demands settle a dispute over equal pay. In 2019, following a union campaign involving strike action, Glasgow council agreed a £500m settlement of equal pay claims up until March 2018 and included a new pay and grading system to rectify issues of unequal pay, primarily of women. Since then, around 5,500 new claims have been lodged for the period prior to March 2018, with nearly 20,000 claimants waiting on settlements for the period after that. The unions want to ensure that new claimants receive the terms of the 2019 agreement but the council has said that it may not be able to finally settle its debt to these women until 2024, with no progress has been made on the issue of interim payments. Both the UNISON and GMB trade unions have voted for action and a statement from the other main union Unite was expected.

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