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Union calls for more to join equal pay claim after talks collapse
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GMB Union has issued a call for more claimants to join its equal pay claim against Coventry City Council due to "unacceptable" delays to settlement talks.
On Monday (1 June), the union said the move could see "thousands" of workers given a fresh opportunity to add their names to the legal challenge, which alleges that the city's women workers have faced historical pay discrimination.
The union has since reported that 10% more people had signed up to the claim, bringing the number of claimants to just under 300, according to the BBC.
The news comes after settlement negotiations collapsed earlier this year.
The union launched its dispute in 2022 over allegations that women workers had been overlooked for pay increases compared to roles predominantly undertaken by male workers.
It said that school teaching assistants, library workers, and care support staff were among the aggrieved.
In March this year, the council set aside £27m in reserves over the next three years to cover potential costs associated with equal pay claims.
A preliminary hearing was also held early that month. The council said a further two preliminary hearings were scheduled for June and September ahead of a full hearing, which is set for 2 November.
Commenting at the time, Cllr Richard Brown, Coventry’s cabinet member for finance, told the BBC the council was being “prudent” by budgeting for potential equal pay costs.
Alice Reynolds, GMB Organiser, said: “After years of unacceptable delays, Coventry’s women workers have had enough.
“They’re demanding settlement of this historical wrong; an injustice which saw women workers systematically under-paid compared to their male co-workers."
Reynolds said the union is also demanding an apology and called for senior council staff to come "back around the table" to settle the dispute.
The council has been approached for comment.
Adam Carey
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