STEVE HOPKINS
CONSULTANT
Tel: 0121 710 5848
Email: shopkins@wilkes.co.uk
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Council Found Guilty in Equal Pay Row
June 2007
Staffordshire County Council has been found guilty of underpaying its employees contrary to the Equal Pay Act in six cases brought before the Shrewsbury Employment Tribunal.
The six cases, all handled by Carvers, the Birmingham solicitors are the first cases to be brought to Tribunal in the equal pay row which has engulfed Staffordshire County Council in recent months, with hundreds of female workers now seeking compensation. Carvers themselves are advising more than 260 Care Assistants, Cooks and Cleaners in similar equal pay cases involving the Council.
The lead case for Carvers involved Mrs Dianne Bridges who worked as a part-time cleaner working 7.5 hours per week for the Council between and 2000 and 2006. Mrs Bridges has been awarded £3000 after tax for lost earnings.
Andrew Vernon, a solicitor at Carvers was delighted with the Tribunal's decision but warned that much hard work lies ahead: "We have fought hard to win these cases. We expect a stiff fight ahead of us for our other cases, but we are hopeful that our aggressive approach to equal pay will win through. The only way to obtain compensation is to bring a claim. Each day that goes by their claims are reducing in value, so they need to act now. The unions are not bringing these types of claims and, so far as we are aware, neither are any other firms of lawyers."
Staffordshire County Council has been dogged by allegations of discriminatory pay towards female workers in recent months, particularly female workers in low paid jobs, such as care assistants, cleaners and cooks.
Andrew Vernon comments: "Staffordshire County Council has in place a classically unfair pay system. The case of Mrs Bridges demonstrates that even part time employees have a potential case. A full time employee with a strong claim could potentially be awarded more than £15,000."
