Birmingham Council Workers Win Equal Pay Claim
Here's the latest equal pay news hot from the BBC - another big breakthrough this time in Birmingham City Council - yet again the campaign was led by Action 4 Equality and Stefan Cross Solicitors.
"Up to 5,000 female council staff have won their case for equal pay at an employment tribunal.
The women, who include cleaners, cooks and care assistants, were all employed by Birmingham City Council.
Solicitors said the council may have to pay a total of £600m to the women, who said they were denied bonuses paid to their male counterparts.
Councillor Alan Rudge, cabinet member for equalities and human resources, said the council had removed its "inappropriate bonus schemes" in 2007.
He said it had introduced a revised pay and grading structure which was in line with the Equal Opportunity Commission equality guidelines.
A spokeperson for Stefan Cross Solicitors said it was a "massive victory" for the women.
He said the tribunal announced that the bonus payments to men were discriminatory and allowed male employees to earn more than £50,000 a year.
The council had believed (wrongly) that refuse collection staff, who were on the same pay grades as the women, deserved special treatment, he added.
The tribunal decided the payments could not be justified since they were being paid to the men for turning up to work and doing their jobs properly, he said.
He also said the tribunal found senior managers at the council had been aware of the problem since as early as 2000 but had not done anything about it.
"The fact that Birmingham City Council simply failed to acknowledge it had a problem should act as a warning to other local authorities who continue to deny their female employees their basic rights," he said.
The pattern is always the same - big council employers and trade unions that should know better, who have been aware of the problem for years - but things only change once Action 4 Equality appears on the scene.
"Up to 5,000 female council staff have won their case for equal pay at an employment tribunal.
The women, who include cleaners, cooks and care assistants, were all employed by Birmingham City Council.
Solicitors said the council may have to pay a total of £600m to the women, who said they were denied bonuses paid to their male counterparts.
Councillor Alan Rudge, cabinet member for equalities and human resources, said the council had removed its "inappropriate bonus schemes" in 2007.
He said it had introduced a revised pay and grading structure which was in line with the Equal Opportunity Commission equality guidelines.
A spokeperson for Stefan Cross Solicitors said it was a "massive victory" for the women.
He said the tribunal announced that the bonus payments to men were discriminatory and allowed male employees to earn more than £50,000 a year.
The council had believed (wrongly) that refuse collection staff, who were on the same pay grades as the women, deserved special treatment, he added.
The tribunal decided the payments could not be justified since they were being paid to the men for turning up to work and doing their jobs properly, he said.
He also said the tribunal found senior managers at the council had been aware of the problem since as early as 2000 but had not done anything about it.
"The fact that Birmingham City Council simply failed to acknowledge it had a problem should act as a warning to other local authorities who continue to deny their female employees their basic rights," he said.
The pattern is always the same - big council employers and trade unions that should know better, who have been aware of the problem for years - but things only change once Action 4 Equality appears on the scene.
