Thomas Bridge 25 June 2015

Birmingham equal pay claimants ‘died waiting’, claims law firm

Birmingham City Council has been accused of taking so long to settle equal pay claims that former staff have died before receiving their settlements.

Law firm Equal Pay Legal today accused the town hall of ‘dragging its feet’ over wage payouts, adding that thousands of people were left waiting years for the settlements.

The no win, no fee firm is currently pursuing claims on behalf of 2,500 current and former local authority employees who were found to have been discriminated against up to 2010.

A landmark court case saw Birmingham admit numerous members of staff – mainly female cooks, cleaners and carers – had been unfairly denied access to regular bonuses extended to traditionally male-dominated jobs such as refuse collectors and road workers.

Equal Pay Legal expects the number of claims against the council could rise above 3,000.

Yet the firm’s legal director Darren Smith told The Birmingham Post: ‘The council should stop dragging its feet over settlements and put a team of people on this to sort it out.

‘Our clients have been made to wait too long and the backlog is growing. We even have cases where someone has died waiting.’

Birmingham has denied claims that it sold off its NEC Group of exhibition centres last year to cover the cost of the equal pay settlements.

Smith added: ‘The council might say we are just acting in our own interests but we are representing people who have been discriminated against and denied their right to fair pay.

‘As a public authority, the council, more than most, should uphold the law and has a responsibility to apply it properly. In these cases, they haven't.

‘Instead, they have taken on three court cases against their own staff and lost every single one and now they are dragging their feet on settlements.’

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: ‘This is part of an ongoing legal process and, as such, it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

HR Onboarding Officer (CDC)

City Of Doncaster Council
Grade 7, £27,259 - £29,955 (Pay award pending)
You have an opportunity to be part of a busy Human Resources team which offers HR support across the Council. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council

Purchase to Pay Administrator (Fixed Term) - WMF2122e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£25,584 - £25,992
We are looking for an Administrator to join our Purchase to Pay and Accounts Receivables team Cumbria / Various
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Social Worker - WMF2123e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£41,511 - £42,708
We’re looking for passionate social workers to join our team in Kendal following a recent reshape of our services. Kendal, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Environmental Health Officer

Wyre Borough Council
£38,626 - £41,511
We are looking to appoint a full time Environmental Health Officer within the Environmental Protection and Community Safety Department. Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire
Recuriter: Wyre Borough Council

Trainee Graduate Accountant

Wyre Borough Council
£25,992 - £37,938
Are you looking to kickstart your career in Finance? Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire
Recuriter: Wyre Borough Council
Linkedin Banner