THE council is set to agree a new job evaluation scheme one of the central issues of the equal pay row.

A new pay and grading structure will replace the discredited Workforce Pay and Benefits system.

It is recommended councillors agree to the so called “Red Book” scheme used by the majority of Scottish councils.

Susan Aitken, Council leader, in a report to councillors, said: “The implementation of a new Job Evaluation Scheme is considered to be an essential component of resolving the current Equal Pay issues facing the Council.”

It will take time to introduce the new structure which Ms Aitken said would be done with the trade unions on the job evaluation working group.

Council sources said that along with bringing Cordia back under full council control the new pay and grading is evidence the council is working to address the issues surrounding equal pay.

It comes as negotiations between the council and representatives of the claimants to reach a settlement over equal pay for thousands of women in Glasgow have come to a halt.

Following the council telling Unison and GMB they would not be negotiating with them while strike action was being taken, the other claimants Action 4 Scotland, the third group representing women claimants, have pulled out of the talks.

The two unions this week notified the council of a plan to hold a 48 hour strike on October 23and 24.

It will hit schools, nurseries and home care visits for the elderly and disabled.

A letter from the three parties to the council chief executive states there will be no unilateral talks.

The response to Annemarie O’Donnell, chief executive, states: “The claimant side is a single team and we will not be meeting with the Council separately.”

It refutes statements by the council boss about agreements over the timetable for talks and accused her of scaremongering when she said that strike action could lead to “loss of life” if home care was withdrawn from vulnerable people.

As revealed in the Evening Times this week Ms O’Donnell said the unions were acting in bad faith and she told them there could be no negotiations until the threat of strike action was removed.

The letter signed by Rhea Wolfson, Regional Organiser, GMB Scotland, Mandy McDowall, Regional Officer, Unison Scotland and Stefan Cross QC, Action 4 Equality Scotland Ltd, said: “Shutting down talks is not a credible response to us raising serious concerns about the process of negotiations and reinforces our belief that Glasgow City Council is still not taking our members and claimants seriously.

“Our joint concerns have been raised consistently for over six months and remain unaddressed.

“Your challenge that our decision to move to strike action is in bad faith is therefore either uninformed or disingenuous. “