Meeting the Costs of Equal Pay
Lots of readers have been in touch to ask about the reports of a new Scottish government scheme that will allow councils to borrow additional funds – to meet the back-pay element of their equal pay costs.
What everyone wants to know is: “Will this make my council more likely to settle?”
Well the answer is – possibly.
The Scottish Government is not giving councils a blank cheque.
Individual councils will have to submit detailed proposals and explain what they have done to meet their equal pay obligations – past and present.
So, the position is likely to vary from council to council.
But the new scheme clearly gives Scottish councils, as a whole, more flexibility and room for manoeuvre – and to that extent it has to be welcomed.
It's taken a long time, but at last the Scottish government has rolled its sleeves up and got directly involved - and that's a positive development.
What everyone wants to know is: “Will this make my council more likely to settle?”
Well the answer is – possibly.
The Scottish Government is not giving councils a blank cheque.
Individual councils will have to submit detailed proposals and explain what they have done to meet their equal pay obligations – past and present.
So, the position is likely to vary from council to council.
But the new scheme clearly gives Scottish councils, as a whole, more flexibility and room for manoeuvre – and to that extent it has to be welcomed.
It's taken a long time, but at last the Scottish government has rolled its sleeves up and got directly involved - and that's a positive development.
