A union says 400 council workers, mostly women, are set to launch legal claims over unequal pay – but the council says it has still not been given details of the claims.
GMB says it has lodged the first tranche of the claims with ACAS, which gives Brighton and Hove City Council a chance to seek a resolution before they go onto an employment tribunal.
It says it has asked the council for a meeting to discuss the claims – but the council says despite multiple requests, it still has not received any details about the claims.
GMB says the claims it has identified could lead to claims of tens of millions of pounds, or more.
Lib Whitfield, GMB senior organiser said: “GMB has lodged the first tranche of 400 legal claims as we back our members fighting for equal pay from Brighton and Hove City Councill and schools. This sex discrimination in how the council pays its staff is serious, systemic and long-running.
“GMB members are leading the way in this battle against discrimination by Brighton and Hove City Council.
“GMB members are in a fight for pay justice and coming together and following GMB’s advice to lodge legal claims. Credit goes to them for standing up for what they deserve.
“Workers in predominantly female roles have been historically underpaid and are owed millions. More claims will follow as more and more people join the campaign.
“GMB expects our members, who are predominantly low paid women, will win the money they are owed after years of unfair and unequal pay.
“GMB is collating the next tranche of legal claims now, which will be submitted over the coming weeks. We will continue to update GMB members on the campaign, so if anyone wishes to receive updates, they should join GMB.”
Jess Gibbons, the council’s chief executive, said: “This council is committed to being a fair and inclusive employer. Our staff are our biggest asset.
“If there are genuine equal pay issues we will address them. We did just that with UNISON on an equal pay settlement related to bank holiday working.
“We have made multiple requests to GMB for information relating to these equal pay claims and are therefore disappointed they have chosen to communicate with the media and submit claims to ACAS without providing us with any information.
“As a council we will do all we can to make sure our staff continue to be treated with fairness and respect.”
The council must have some idea. I struggle to believe that 400 of its staff are putting in a claim and the council as an organisation is completely in the dark about what the issue actually is. It doesn’t add up.
Depends on what they are comparing it to, and that can be very obfuscated. It hurts their cases immeasurably either way by not indulging the council’s request for information, as Tribunal would find this unreasonable because it doesn’t allow the council to provide remediation or address any concerns in pay discrepancies. It is very odd behaviour from the union – normally quite pro-union, but on this occasion, rapid escalation isn’t helpful.
The union say it’s sex discrimination, and that it’s “serious, systemic and long-running”. If the union is correct and that it affects more than 400 workers, I can’t see how it simply cannot be the case that the council is completely in the dark.
If the council really has no idea, then that in some ways is even more alarming, they should be doing risk assessments on possible equal pay issues to understand whether they are exposed to risks – like the council in Birmingham was.
Imagine that the union will give more details as things proceed, but presumably there is some substance to the claim given the numbers they are talking about, so I don’t think people should so readily dismiss them.
One would hope so – but it is BHCC, who currently blame everything on the greens.
I can certainly accept that possibility Cathy. What confuses me though is why the union is being obtuse about the specifics when asked, because it shows that the council are willing to engage in this subject, and that’s a really good first step to challenging any issues.
If it was the case that the council aren’t willing to engage at all, then a legal pathway would make more sense, at least to me.
I do feel we are skipping to the nuclear option here, and I think it may be to the worker’s detriment.
The GMB declared war on BHCC a while back now over the refuse collector’s behavior. This move is not surprising and may yet turn out to have no real grounds, but just vexatious.
However this was the final nail in the coffin of Birmingham City Council, before it went effectively bankrupt.
The thought had crossed my mind as well Chris that this might be retaliation for CityClean. I’d be very disappointed in the union if that ends up being the case. Would be a massive let down for its members professionally.
If the GMB Union claims it is “set to launch” a legal claim, yet cannot produce their grievances to the council ahead of proceedings, then it sounds as if the GMB haven’t actually compiled it yet. I’m betting that the GMB are incapable of doing it, but just want to make a lot of noise, as this is their only reason to exist.
Unequal pay should be an embarrassment of history by now, but I wouldn’t trust the meat-heads at the GMB to help at all.
I quite agree that if there is unequal pay, especially between men and women of similar job roles and experience, that this should be challenged.
However, I don’t think skipping to an instant legal challenge is the right move. Especially when it seems like BHCC are engaging by asking for details, which hopefully will be so they can look at addressing any identified discrepancies.
Was anybody actually fired over the bullying and other malpractice by the GMB members at City Clean? Where all the independent judges recommendations put in place?
Yes a few GMB reps were sacked. One is in court soon for bringing weapons into the depot hence this revenge nonsense
This just seems like petty revenge for being exposed as a rotten bunch of bully’s at City clean. Why didn’t they work out their members were underpayed until mark turner was sacked and dave russell in court for weapons at the depot? This is going to blow up In their faces though as l know a rather large media organisation is paying close attention to what’s been happening at this local branch of the GMB and this may be the push the council needs to spill the beans on EVERYTHING. Get the pop corn ready!!