Council in Denial

The news that South Lanarkshire Council has appealed the recent decision of the Glasgow Employment Tribunal - comes as no surprise.

Because the Council is in denial - and has been for years - over its attitude to equal pay and Freedom of Information (FOI).

For the past seven years the Council has been denying the existence of a fundamental problem over equal pay - but now the Council's 'in-house' job evaluation scheme has been found not to comply with the 1970 Equal Pay Act.

How embarrassing for a Council that claimed - for a while at least - to be leading the way over Scotland's 1999 Single Status (Equal Pay) Agreement.  

So for a while yet the Council will continue to stick its head in the sand - mainly because it has deep pockets - but the reality is that South Lanarkshire is just trying to paper over the huge cracks in the Council's position.

The Council also lost the FOI argument with the Scottish Information Commissioner, three senior judges in the Court of Session (Scotland's highest civil court) - and has now been told that its 'in-house' job evaluation scheme is not up to the job.

What a complete mess - and a terrible waste of taxpayers' money - you have to say.

Here's a statement released by Fox Cross Solicitors which represents Action 4 Equality Scotland clients in the ongoing legal action against South Lanarkshire Council.

As readers can see the number of Action 4 Equality Scotland clients in South Lanarkshire - is increasing by the day:

Fox Cross Solicitors Limited now represents 2,660 claimants with equal pay cases against South Lanarkshire Council. The first case was lodged in November 2005. Following seven years of legal proceedings before the Employment Tribunal we won the PHR in June 2012 which ruled that the Council’s local Job Evaluation Scheme did not comply with the Equal Pay Act 1970 and could not be relied upon as a defence to these equal pay cases.

We are not surprised to learn today that the Council has lodged an appeal to the EAT in Edinburgh. SLC has also requested a Reviewing Hearing at the Employment Tribunal in Glasgow. These actions of the Council will delay any final determination of these cases. Justice delayed is indeed justice denied.

Our claimants are once more hugely disappointed but not surprised that South Lanarkshire Council is determined to prolong these proceedings. We will continue to represent our growing number of claimants with the determination already displayed by our expert legal team. We thank all of our claimants for their continued patience and cooperation as we fight on.