Fife Council staff to receive equal pay settlements

Over 1,400 female Fife Council workers are to be recompensed for historic equal pay claims, with some cases dating back to 2006.

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Trade union Unison reached a settlement with Fife Council outside of court that will compensate employees for historic discriminatory pay practices within Fife Council, and will see affected staff receive back pay.

The agreement covers the principles of the settlement and how each individual member’s settlement will be calculated.

David Ross, council leader at Fife Council, said: “These claims have been ongoing for some considerable time and the legal processes involved have been complex.

“The fact that we have reached agreement without the need for legal proceedings has to be welcomed. There will no doubt be comparisons between Fife and other local authorities who are also dealing with equal pay claims.

“However, it’s important to note that no two cases are the same and the fact that we haven’t had to go through a court process means Fife’s outcome cannot be compared to others.”

Suzanne Craig, legal officer at Unison Scotland, added: “This settlement also agrees the legal principles for moving forward to ensure, wherever possible that job evaluation and pay practices remain free from discrimination in the future.”