Leeds City Council is still facing equal pay claims potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds, with more than 4,000 women having joined legal action against the authority, GMB Union has said.
The union says female council employees have been systematically underpaid compared to their male counterparts, pointing to structural pay differences between roles predominantly carried out by women – such as teaching assistants – and those mostly done by men, such as refuse collection.
GMB organiser Rachel Robertson said the women were ‘fed up with endless delays’ and were demanding action. ‘Thousands of them are owed millions of pounds and they want that cash in their pockets now,’ she said.
Leeds City Council said it had taken a ‘constructive and collaborative approach’ in discussions with GMB and had settled some elements of the claims late last year. However, it acknowledged that outstanding elements remained unresolved.
A council spokesperson said it was keen to continue talks but stressed its duty to manage budgets ‘in a prudent and robust manner’, adding that any settlement must reflect that responsibility.
The council said it was ‘determined to foster truly inclusive workplaces where there is no room for discrimination of any kind.’
