Coventry City Council could face a major pay-out after hundreds of its employees won an equal pay claim at a tribunal.
More than 240 female employees, working in catering and home care services for the council, took their equal pay claim to tribunal, stating they were paid considerably less than their male counterparts working in refuse collection.
The Birmingham tribunal found in their favour, stating the council should have applied similar schemes to similar groups of employees with a bigger female workforce.
Unions representing the staff called on the council to pay up. Unite’s regional officer, Tony Higham, said: ‘These claims were registered in 2005 but members’ resolve never faltered.’
Valerie Broom, Unison West Midlands regional secretary, said: ‘Equal pay is the law.’
The council said it was studying the judgement before deciding whether to appeal, and added that each individual claim would have to go back to the tribunal to be proved.
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