Council equal pay could cost millions, says union

Equal pay claims involving hundreds of council staff could end up costing a cash-strapped local authority "millions of pounds", a union has said.

GMB Union said staff at Bradford Council had been in touch about claims the authority was reportedly paying staff in mainly male departments more than staff in mainly female departments.

The union accused the council of "burying their heads in the sand" and said if the complainants were successful, their pay claims could be backdated for up to six years.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said it was in discussions with the union and staff.

Lou Foster-Wilson, GMB Organiser, called the situation "shameful" and said that members were angry at being "short-changed".

She also said hundreds of claims were "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," Ms Foster-Wilson added.

The dispute relates to claims staff in female-dominated roles, such as teaching assistants, have historically been underpaid in relation to those in male-dominated positions.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a 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."

Ms Foster-Wilson added: "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."

In 2024 Birmingham City Council agreed to pay 6,000 of its workers a settlement after an unequal pay row.

It was said to be one of the key factors in the authority declaring effective bankruptcy the year before when it said it was facing a bill of £760m to settle the claims.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.