THE long running equal pay claim for women will be settled, the leader of Glasgow City Council has promised.

However, union leaders fear Susan Aitken, the new leader, and the officials of the council are at odds with one another over paying out or continuing the challenge though the courts.

Workers protested outside the City Chambers at the decision of the council to seek leave to appeal a court ruling that went against it, demanding the claims are settled without delay.

Susan Aitken, who promised before she was elected as the first SNP leader of the council in Glasgow, said the claim would be settled, re-iterated the promise and said seeking leave to appeal did not mean the council wouldn’t pay out.

She said talks had already begun with the trade unions and the decision to seek leave to appeal was based on legal advice from council officers.

However she said there is no appeal and criticised previous councils for delaying a settlement.

She said: “The SNP committed to settling equal pay and that remains our intention. It is about justice for our staff.”

She said she understood the anger felt by the women over the issue but said no decision has been taken to appeal and the legal procedures would not be a delaying tactic.

She said legal proceedings would only be to seek clarity and would not stop the council negotiating a settlement.

Outside dozens on Unison and GMB members gathered to make their feelings known as councillors entered the City Chambers for a meeting of the council and their protests could be heard from inside.

Brian Smith of Unison said delaying was exactly what the council was doing and feared conflict between the political leaders and officials in charge of the council.

He said: “We don’t think the council officers are treating this as serious as they should. We see it as a delaying tactic.

“We think there is a battle going on between the senior officers and the council administration.”

Mr Smith said the final figure was not known but said it will run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Rhea Wolfson GMB branch secretary said: “We have had money stolen from us every single day we have gone to work.

“This council has been in charge since May and they have broken their promise to us.

“We will not be put aside by future promises. The only thing for them to do is to put their money where their promises are.

“These are the people who make sure our children are fed at school, our roads cleaned, parks kept and our elderly looked after.

“These people make Glasgow. We will accept nothing less than a full settlement. We want our money and we want it now.”

Inside the chambers at the full Council meeting Ms Aitken was asked on two occasions about the equal pay claims and the decision to seek leave to appeal.

In response to Tory councillor Euan Blockley she said “We will settle” but admitted she did not know how much it would cost.

Ms Aitken said: “there is not a clear financial envelope for what a full settlement might be only estimates.

“Until we have conducted negotiations we won’t have a better idea.”

She re-iterated her commitment that seeking leave to appeal did not mean there would be an appeal and that it did not prevent negotiations from taking place which she said had already started.

Ms Aitken also criticised the previous Labour administrations who she said did nothing to reach a settlement and who she accused of sticking their head in the sand.

She added: “Continuing the appeal process more, magnifies the bill for settlement.

“Every delaying tactic of the previous administration has added £20m a year to the final bill this council will be facing.”

Labour group leader and previous Council Leader Frank McAveety defended his administration.

He said Ms Aitken omitted to mention payments already made on equal pay by the previous Labour led council over the last ten years.

He added: “All advice we received was QC and legal officer advice.”

A settlement of potentially hundreds of millions of pounds is feared to likely have a damaging impact on jobs and services delivered by the council.

Mr McAveety also demanded information in the implications on jobs for council workers of any settlement.

He said “for men and women.”

Mr Blockley asked if there had been any talks with the Scottish or UK governments about funding for a final settlement.

Ms Aitken said there had been no formal talks.