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| 08/01/2010 |
Bury Council's Equal Pay Settlements |
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Bury Council has made cash settlement offers in an attempt to settle its long running Equal Pay dispute with hundreds of its low paid mainly women staff.
But UNISON, the trade union representing most of the claimants, is advising them not to accept because the amount being offered is far too far short of the actual value of the women's claims.
In a letter to claimants from the Union's Solicitors Thompsons the women are advised that their offers, at 50% of the difference between what they were paid and what male jobs earning bonus were paid up to 2007, fall way short of what they could win, and should be rejected.
Branch Secretary Steve Morton said today "1,200 low paid women - including cleaners, support workers and cooks - stood to gain thousands of pounds each after UNISON fought and won an equal pay claim against Bury Metropolitan Borough Council. This cost the Council almost £1 million on legal fees."
"While UNISON has been urging the Council to make sensible settlement offers rather than spend a further million pounds to continue its failed defence of our members claims, these proposals are just not at an acceptable level. The difference between these offers and what is actually owed to our members is too much and there are still 300 people who haven't received an offer at all. I would encourage any low paid women members who have not yet made a claim to contact us about it, but they need to do so now."
Regional Equal Pay lead Keith Westley (above) added "UNISON has a duty to convey to our members that these offers have been made. But we also have a duty to advise our members what we think of them, which is that having already beaten the Council in the Employment Tribunal and having the Council's attempt to justify paying women's jobs less than men's declared to be a sham, it will take much more than 50% of the claim before UNISON can recommend any members to accept these offers. The choice is now theirs, but our position is clear."
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CONTACT DETAILS
• To find out more about membership benefits contact our helpline, UNISONdirect on 0845 355 0845. Lines are open 6am-midnight Mon to Fri and 9am-4pm Sat.
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