Wait continues in SLC pay equality row

It was thought last year that the marathon legal battle over historic underpayment claims by 3000 female South Lanarkshire Council staff members had been settled with the council agreeing to a £70 million settlement.

However, it has now been learned that the successful end to the women’s battle prompted fresh claims by around 1000 other past and present female employees, an estimated tenth of them from Clydesdale.

Although the main body of claimants - mostly represented as a group by solicitors Fox and Partners - received their back payments a year ago, the `new’ claimants have been told that they might have some time to wait to have their claims settled.

The late claimants are mostly being supported by the local government workers’ union UNISON and it has made assurances that it is dealing with their issues as quickly as possible.

A spokesman said: “There was an arrival of 1000 claims at a later stage in the negotiations.

“It just created a huge volume of additional work.

“We fully understand the frustration, especialy of those who put in their claims some time ago.

“It has been a frustrating process we’re coming to the conclusion of and it should be concluded in a matter of weeks.”