Equal pay justice – UNISON and Bury Council come to historic agreement
UNISON, the UK’s largest union, and Bury Council have reached an agreement to settle nearly one thousand low paid women council workers’ equal pay claims.
The women, who do vital jobs such as caring, cleaning, and cooking, were paid less than their male colleagues, for doing work of equivalent value.
Bury was the first council that UNISON targeted with mass litigation for equal pay in 2007 – after it was the last council in Greater Manchester to take the issue seriously.
The union estimates that the council has wasted more than £1 million of public money by fighting the claims through the courts – the lengthy legal battle has included more than 30 days of Tribunal and Appeal Tribunal hearings. This settlement means that a Court of Appeal hearing, scheduled for March, will no longer go ahead.
UNISON regional manager, Steve Stott, said: "This is a great day for the low paid women carers, cleaners, caterers and many others working for Bury council. They have been waiting long enough for pay justice. It's also an historical day – this is the first council that UNISON targeted with a mass litigation case for equal pay, after it failed to take the issue of fairness seriously.
"We are pleased that the council has at last accepted its responsibility to treat its women workers fairly. Most of the women's claims which were first lodged in 2007 and for nearly five years the Council has been wasting precious public money trying to defend the indefensible."
UNISON branch secretary Steve Morton added: "Nearly one thousand low paid women council workers are now a big step closer to the pay justice they deserve. It is the year 2012, more than 40 years after the Equal Pay Act, and women should have the right to expect fairness.
"The people who decided to lead Bury Council into expensive litigation, rather than negotiate reasonable settlements – as every other Greater Manchester Council did - have wasted more than a million pounds worth of public money. This money should have been spent compensating women rather than arguing with them."