Equal pay deals warning for councils

Unison warns of far-reaching consequences after five successful unfair dismissal claims

News, 8 December 2005

Five Glasgow City Council employees have been awarded a total of £20,000 for unfair dismissal in a series of employment tribunal decisions.

The three men and two women, who were working at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, had their salaries cut by up to £1,000 a year when their jobs as museum assistants were axed and they were given new roles as visitor assistants.

<>Unison took the cases to tribunal, arguing that the five were doing the same job for less money and the tribunal ruled that all five had been unfairly dismissed. The five, who still work for the council, received awards ranging from £3,330 to £7,253.

Bridget McConnell, the director of the council's cultural and leisure services department that runs the museums, was criticised by unions for allegedly leaving workers with reduced terms and conditions.

Unison Scotland's legal officer Peter Hunter warned that the tribunals could have far-reaching implications for equal pay deals at local authorities across Scotland.

Unison took 10 test cases to tribunal. The council offered full value settlements in five cases and the union has now won the other five.

The council has already been ordered to pay more than £25,000 to compensate three former community centre supervisors who lost their jobs during the service review. The tribunal ruled that they had been dismissed unfairly after turning down alternative jobs with a £3,000 a year pay cut.