Counting by Numbers
We've often said that the trade unions are all over the place when it comes to equal pay.
But every so often the unions comes out with such a silly statement that we hardly need to say a word - because the facts speak for themselves.
Here's a comment from the GMB which appeared in The Observer newspaper at the weekend:
"The GMB union declared that its women members in Birmingham can now expect substantial payouts, probably worth £30 million."...."This estimate is based on the average £20,000 payout expected by the GMB's lawyers for each of the 1,400 women they were representing."
According to the Observer the remaining claimants, represented by other unions, can expect a similar amount.
But the pay difference in Birmingham between male and female groups of workers - which, of course, the trade unions knew about all along - was around £19,000 a year, every year.
So, £20,000 hardly seems a fair or realistic settlement covering a period of several years - even allowing for the fact that a number of women claimants will have worked part-time.
Are the unions planning to sell their members short - again?
The pay differentials in Birmingham were right off the Richter scale - unbelievable almost - with male bonuses worth up to 160% on top of basic pay.
So the bill for the city council will be a great deal more than £30 million - much more in fact.
Try £500 million and keep counting - because Birmingham has the distinction of being, by far, the the largest council in the UK with about 60,000 employees.
So, the unions demonstrate once again and more eloquently than we ever could - that they can hardly count - never look after the interests of women workers when it comes to equal pay.
But every so often the unions comes out with such a silly statement that we hardly need to say a word - because the facts speak for themselves.
Here's a comment from the GMB which appeared in The Observer newspaper at the weekend:
"The GMB union declared that its women members in Birmingham can now expect substantial payouts, probably worth £30 million."...."This estimate is based on the average £20,000 payout expected by the GMB's lawyers for each of the 1,400 women they were representing."
According to the Observer the remaining claimants, represented by other unions, can expect a similar amount.
But the pay difference in Birmingham between male and female groups of workers - which, of course, the trade unions knew about all along - was around £19,000 a year, every year.
So, £20,000 hardly seems a fair or realistic settlement covering a period of several years - even allowing for the fact that a number of women claimants will have worked part-time.
Are the unions planning to sell their members short - again?
The pay differentials in Birmingham were right off the Richter scale - unbelievable almost - with male bonuses worth up to 160% on top of basic pay.
So the bill for the city council will be a great deal more than £30 million - much more in fact.
Try £500 million and keep counting - because Birmingham has the distinction of being, by far, the the largest council in the UK with about 60,000 employees.
So, the unions demonstrate once again and more eloquently than we ever could - that they can hardly count - never look after the interests of women workers when it comes to equal pay.
