Fife Council worker says he's owed thosuands

The employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, worked for catering and cleaning services for around 13 years and says an equal pay claim dating back around a decade has seen half the affected staff receive cash while he, and others, are still waiting.

Fed up of the wait, the former cleaner, who still works for the council, is desperate to see an end to the dispute.

"So far, half the workforce have had it, that was three years ao and we are sill waiting. What is so special about them?" he said.

"They were due us money because we were not paid the right amount of money. We all put in a claim together and half got it and the rest of us are still waiting three years later.

"We had all did the same job so we cannot see why they have been treated differently. One person who also hasn't had a payout yet is a cook working in a kitchen and is alongside three people who have had their money. It is getting ridiculous. They do the same job. 

"It is money due to us and I am talking thousands. We got an email saying Fife Council is having difficulty paying you and are going to offer us it in other ways like a pay rise. That is not going to benefit me.

"A lot of us are sitting in the same situation and the money would really help us. We feel like we are being treated unfairly and something is needing to be done to resolve this."

Fife Council's head of human resources, Sharon McKenzie, said they had continued to "work diligently" with trade unions and legal representatives to settle a small number of outstanding historical claims. 

"We have subsequently received a number of new claims from different solicitors that are progressing through the tribunal system," she added. 

"It would not be appropriate to comment on these live legal issues other than to say that the current cases do not have the same legal basis as those dealt with previously and therefore require to be dealt with separately."