UNISON wins historic equal pay award

(15/3/05) UNISON has agreed the biggest ever equal pay award with North Cumbria Acute NHS Trust, for 1,500 women working at Cumberland Infirmary and at West Cumbria Hospital. The women each stand to gain between £35,000 and £200,000.

The union has waged an eight-year legal battle to gain equal pay and the offer will be recommended to members at a mass meeting to be organised shortly.

Equal value claims were lodged in August 1997 for 14 different working categories, using five different male comparators. The women range from nurses and healthcare assistants to catering assistants, domestics, clerical officers, sewing machine assistants, porters and telephonists. They compared their pay with that of craftsmen/joiners, building labourers/wall washers, works officers, craftsmen supervisors and maintenance assistants.

Pay rates, hours of work, pensions, weekend working rates and sick pay were all included in the comparisons which showed that women were treated unfairly by the old pay system.

The women claimed back pay for up to six years from the date of lodging the claim. Some of the women will receive up to 14 years’ difference in pay. Interest of 50%-60% will also be paid.

UNISON general secretary, Dave Prentis, said it had been a long, hard struggle, but it was a fantastic result for the members involved.

“We have always argued that there has been historic pay discrimination in the health service against women,” he said. “It is dreadful, though, that it has taken so long to get justice for these hard-working women who are the backbone of the NHS.”

UNISON local convenor and health care assistant Christine Wharrier, who has worked at West Cumbria hospital for 28 years, said the result was a great victory.

“Discrimination runs deep in the NHS especially for part-timers, who are mainly women workers,” she said. “This win will be a boon for ancillary staff who will benefit because they are on really low pay and I could jump up and down for them – it’s wonderful.”

Around 100 members have retired since the case began and they will benefit from the compensation as well as getting an increase in their pension. Sadly five UNISON members at the trust have died since 1997. The amount due to individuals will vary considerably depending on their employment history.

A new pay system for NHS staff was negotiated by UNISON in 2004, which will end pay discrimination in the future.

Bookmark, print, post, feed or send to a friend:

Print version

RSS feeds