Unions are fighting for equal pay in Scotland

After a long battle, union plans for December strike action in Glasgow resulted in an agreement with the council.

The prospect of three days' strike action by members of UNISON public services union seems to have persuaded Glasgow City Council to extend maintenance of earnings arrangements during its pay and grading process. The union remains cautious, however, as this does not provide a settlement of the underlying issues.

Meanwhile after six years of talks on pay equality, Falkirk Council had "walked away" from negotiations and offered its staff new contracts from 18 December. But the GMB general union and UNISON opposed the new terms, arguing that they would preserve pay inequality between women and men.

Alex McLuckie, GMB Scotland senior organiser described this as "the worst of all worlds", promising large cuts in pay for many workers, and inferior terms and conditions for all.

Rather than go down the route of equal pay and unfair dismissal claims the unions at Falkirk decided to pursue a judicial review under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003. This gives councils a statutory duty to encourage pay equality and to comply with the Equal Pay Act, making Falkirk's decision to sack staff and impose the new system illegal.

Unions at Falkirk were backing their stand with a demonstration on 16 December and strike action.