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The council said it was carrying out a "fair and transparent job evaluation process" agreed with trade unions, to comply with equal pay laws.

Speaking to BBC Walescast, Nicky Hughes, RCN Wales' associate director of nursing, said the Welsh government should "respect all professions and provide equal pay or at least parity across all the public sectors".

The council said the changes were part of a regrading exercise aimed at avoiding future equal pay claims.

The equal pay issue, which relates to claims staff in female-dominated roles were historically underpaid in relation to male-dominated positions, was one of the key factors in the authority declaring effective bankruptcy in 2023, when it said it was facing a bill of £760m to settle the claims.

The council recently said it must make changes to comply with equal pay laws, but it was committed to finding a fair and sustainable deal.