Calls are being made for bosses of a local authority pension fund to address a "democratic deficit" on its board.
Lothian Pension Fund (LPF) is currently considering a merger with Falkirk Council's Pension Fund in a move which would create a combined 115,000 members and assets of £11.3billion.
However it has been claimed that despite LPF representing the retirement pots for workers at four councils - West Lothian, Midlothian, East Lothian and Edinburgh - only Edinburgh City Council members will take an active part in the vote alongside Falkirk colleagues.
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Concern over the lack of representation for East Lothian has been raised by councillors who are calling for a seat a the table for future decisions over the fund.
Scottish Greens councillor Shona McIntosh is bringing a motion to a meeting of East Lothian Council next week, backed by SNP councillor Lee-Anne Menzies calling for more say in decisions.
She said the announcement of the proposed merger of LPF and Falkirk Council Pension Fund in May this year had highlighted East Lothian's lack of voice.
She said of the merger: "There is an existing democratic deficit in the Lothian Pension Fund which means that despite the Fund being administered for four local authorities in the region, only one of these has representation on the Pension Committee.
"The merger will be voted on solely by members of City of Edinburgh Council and Falkirk Council.
"If the merger goes ahead, both (pension fund) committees would cease to have oversight over the new fund, and be replaced by a body currently referred to as a ‘Company Board’.
"It is unclear what the make up of this proposed ‘Company Board’ would be, but there are concerns that it would not have the same level of elected member, trade union, and employer representation."
A motion to councillors next week calls on the council leader to write to the LPF pension committee and leaders of Edinburgh and Falkirk Council "expressing concern at the possibility of any loss of democratic oversight
over the local government pension fund for our area"
And it asks that the council leader urges them to take the opportunity to "strengthen democratic oversight, by ensuring that any new board has broad representation from trade unions and employers, and also contains elected members drawn proportionately from all participating local authority areas."
LPF announced it was consider the merger in May this year.
At the time it said: "A merger is expected to be a significant and positive development for the funds, members, employers, and colleagues in continuing to build an increasingly resilient pension fund provider for the City of Edinburgh and Falkirk councils.
"Subject to final approval of both the City of Edinburgh and Falkirk councils, regulatory clearances and legislative process, the funds would look to target completion of the merger in 2023. "
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