Offer to women in bonus wrangle

Oct 12 2006 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM city council bosses are to offer an olive branch to women workers who believe they have missed out on huge bonuses paid to their male counterparts.

The city's human resources department will, within the next two weeks, make an offer to all those women care workers, cleaners and dinner ladies who are considering legal action under equal pay legislation.

Cabinet member for Human Resources Coun Alan Rudge said that a judgement awarding £50 million equal pay damages against Cumbria County Council had come as a huge shock to both the council and unions.

And fears that Birmingham's women workers could leave the city with a legal bill of up to £350 million has prompted a swift response.

Coun Rudge said: "We are implementing a new pay structure which will for the first time recognise the importance of a range of caring and other jobs largely done by women.

"We want our staff to be properly compensated. We don't want them to waste money on lawyers or go through the stress of legal action.

"We will be letting people know how we will manage this in the next couple of weeks."

No win no fee law firms are currently signing up equal pay claims from women workers at a rate of more than 20 per day and have promised average payouts of £15,000 per claim.

The council has one hope of avoiding the payout in a court appeal by Cumbria due to be heard in the New Year.

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