Council leader facing sex discimination claim from 1,100 staff

Aberdeen City Council leader John Stewart is among 10 councillors who have been served with citations in sex discrimination claims lodged by more than 1,100 local authority employees.

A total of 10 elected members from the ruling Liberal Democrat-SNP administration are being sued by 1,116 workers in relation to an ongoing dispute over plans to stop increases in their pay scales this year.

An employment tribunal will hear a test case later this year and, if it proves successful, the councillors, who voted against pay increments last month, could have to pay compensation to the affected staff personally.

The decision – which was never ratified after a "time out" was called to allow union and council officials extra time to discuss the issue – will be considered at a full council meeting next month. The local authority said the move will save £4.5 million.

About 6,550 council staff, three-quarters of whom are female, would be affected by the proposal, despite the pay scales having been imposed on staff as part of last year’s landmark equal-pay deal.

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