A UNION says equal pay claims involving hundreds of Bradford Council staff could end up costing the cash strapped authority “millions of pounds.”
The GMB Union says hundreds of Council workers have been in touch over claims the Council is paying staff in mainly male departments more than staff in mainly female departments.
The union has accused bosses of ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over the issue.
But the Council said it is in discussions with the union and staff over the issue.
A statement from the Union said: “Local authority workers in the city signed up after GMB Union uncovered staff working in a mainly male departments are effectively being paid more an hour than female counterparts in other parts of the council.
“There are already hundreds of claimants – with hundreds more expected to join the claim.
“If successful, they would be able to up to 6 years pay differential – a bill likely to run into millions of pounds.
“GMB urges council workers in female dominated roles to contact the union to submit a claim and protect their legal right.”
Lou Foster-Wilson, GMB Organiser, said: “Our members are angry at being short-changed, and quite rightly so. It’s shameful.
“Bradford Council bosses have buried their heads in the sand for more than six months; avoiding engaging in negotiations to resolve the dispute.
“Hundreds of claims are piling up – with hundreds more to follow.
“The longer it takes to settle these claims the bigger the bill Bradford Council will have to pick up.
“I urge the council to do the right thing by our members and its workforce and get round the negotiating table, so we can sort out a settlement for our members as soon as possible.”
A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “People are at the heart of what we do in Bradford, and our commitment to equality and inclusion is a big part of that.
“We have well established procedures for discussing many matters with the trade unions and we continue in discussion with them to understand any issues their members may have.”
Equal pay claims have proved to be an expensive issue for Councils in recent years, with Birmingham Council facing a bill of up to £1 billion to settle equal pay claims over the last 12 years.
