By Susan Aitken

When the SNP was elected as the new city government in Glasgow in May, we knew that our commitment to finding a resolution to long-outstanding equal pay claims would be among the toughest challenges we faced. The outcome of recent cases before the Court of Session and the picture that has emerged of the city council’s handling of the equal pay issue has served to emphasise this.

Of the estimated 6,000 extant equal pay claims, the vast majority are by low-paid women workers doing jobs that are the bedrock of essential council services. Without Cordia home carers, for example – who make up the largest group of claimants – we would not be able to meet our statutory duties to provide care for frail older people and others who need support in their homes.

Not only do these women believe they have been undervalued by the council’s Job Evaluation Scheme, they have also spent a decade watching successive Labour administrations refuse to talk to or negotiate with them; or even to investigate whether their claims are valid.

That is unfair and unacceptable and these women are rightly angry at how they have been treated.

Audit Scotland published a report last week on how equal pay issues have been handled by local authorities. It strongly criticised the lack of political leadership within some councils. Nowhere, it seems, has that been more true than here in Glasgow.

In line with the recommendations of Audit Scotland, the city government has been asking questions and seeking information to help inform our decisions on equal pay. We have been taken aback by the apparent lack of work done previously to establish a range of scope or a financial envelope for any potential settlement; to learn from the experience of other local authorities; to have any meaningful discussions with staff representatives; or even to test the basis of the claims.

Labour had years to prepare for this. Instead it chose to stick its heads in the sand and deny justice to its own female staff. That way of dealing with this issue ends now.

Any remaining legal proceedings will only be for the purposes of providing clarity; they will not be used to delay or put barriers in the way of reaching a settlement. I have instructed council officers to begin talks to agree terms of reference for negotiations with all parties, which has not been done before.

Identifying and settling valid claims will be difficult, time-consuming and expensive. The number of cases involved and the complexity of the council’s pay and grading arrangements are such that it will take many months of analysis, comparison and negotiation before the principles of a settlement can be finalised. The impact of any settlement on the council’s finances may be significant. Elected members will have a duty to ensure that we inform ourselves as fully as we can of the implications of any decisions.

Taking the time for due diligence will be essential. We will not act in haste and certainly not in response to pressure from those who created the problem. Their failure to act has inflated the potential cost with each passing year – not to mention the cost of legal fees.

But difficult and expensive are not an excuse for inaction. The home carers and other female workers have waited long enough for a council administration in Glasgow to step up, take responsibility and demonstrate leadership. The SNP city government will use every tool at our disposal to protect jobs and the frontline services our communities rely on and we will; but we are also determined to end Glasgow’s years of pay injustice.

Susan Aitken is leader of Glasgow City Council.