COUNCIL bosses are on the verge of agreeing a £2 million equal pay package for almost 1,000 Inverclyde women, the Tele can reveal.

A deal to compensate around 800 female employees who claim they have been underpaid compared to their male counterparts is close to being signed between local authority and union officials.

It would bring an end to a long-running dispute between staff and the council.
Equal pay claims were submitted by women in various departments and the local authority says it has settled over 1,700 to date.

Around 800 are still outstanding but the Tele understands a compensation package is currently being ratified.

A council spokesman today confirmed that talks are at an advanced stage.

He said: “In respect of the outstanding equal pay claims, I can confirm the council is committed to addressing all claims in a fair manner as quickly as possible.

“Over the past few weeks there have been positive discussions with our trade union colleagues and legal advisers and we are close to agreeing settlements in appropriate cases.

“Any settlement offers will also apply to any unrepresented employees who have a current valid eligible employment tribunal claim.”

A row is rumbling over historic claims which have not been settled.

It is understood they had to be lodged with the employment tribunal by April 2010 and that between 30 and 40 have been rejected because they are time-barred.

Councillors have been made aware of the situation and received legal advice that the council should not seek to settle them as it could open the local authority up to more claims from other employees.

One whistleblower recently told the Tele how the equal pay saga was ‘causing strain’ among colleagues, with many cases of people who have already had a settlement working alongside colleagues – who do the same job and have yet to been compensated.

The women who are in line for payouts include clerical, support, catering, cleaning and janitorial staff, many of whom work in Inverclyde schools.