Wonderland jibe for South Lanarkshire Council

As reported, there are about 200 female past and present employees of the council in Clydesdale making a joint legal bid for compensation for years of what they claim was underpayment on gender grounds.

The council is fighting the claim but, as a side issue, one equal rights campaigner had his Freedom of Information Act application to see internal council documents on its pay policies first rejected by the council and then upheld by the Information Commissioner.

Now the council’s appeal against that ruling appears to be going awry at the Supreme Court in London.

According to the campaigners, last week one of the judges hearing the appeal described the council’s case as being like something out of “Alice in Wonderland”. The man seeking the documents, Mark Irvine, claims that the council action could cost a hefty £200,000 in legal fees if it loses the case.

After the hearing, the result of which is expected soon, a South Lanarkshire Council spokeswoman said it would be inappropriate to comment as it was still a ‘live’ court proceeding.

Earlier, the council said it was fighting the case to protect employees’ pay confidentiality,