Council accused of delaying tactics by women fighting for equal pay

Glasgow City Council has been accused of holding up equal pay settlements for women after claiming they haven’t proved the money is due.

More than 16,000 claims have been settled with female workers in the last decade, costing £770million.

But the local authority says responsibility for claims by home carer staff Audrey Masson, Lorraine Donnachie and Helen Mitchell “has not been established”. The women are pursuing their own employment ­tribunals after being abandoned by their unions and lawyers.

Lorraine, 61, rejected past offers because she said no one could explain how they calculated what she was owed.

In a letter from council lawyers this week, the women were told “liability has not been established by the claimant nor conceded by the respondent”.

Council leader Susan Aitken has acknowledged publicly that the council was to blame for decades of pay inequality.

Lorraine said: “To suggest the council may not have anything to answer for in our cases is laughable. It seems like a delaying tactic”. Glasgow City Council said: “It is the ­claimants’ right to go to tribunal, rather than accept the offer negotiated.

“However, there is a clear process to follow in taking that option – and the tribunal has asked for relevant information to allow it to proceed.”

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