Women council workers get payout

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Unison said almost 300 women at Kirklees Council working in traditional female jobs such as home carers, kitchen assistants and cleaners, were excluded from bonuses awarded to men in comparable posts such as gardening and refuse collection.

The claims were originally submitted in 2006 and settled after preliminary employment tribunal hearings.

Unison said that the women have now started to receive details of the compensation they will receive, which the union believed would be 50% higher than those settled by no win-no fee lawyers.

General secretary Dave Prentis said: "I am delighted that Unison has been successful in achieving pay justice for this group of low-paid women workers.

"The union is working hard through collective bargaining and negotiation to deliver equal pay.

"However, we will not shy away from litigation if necessary and just this week Unison lodged its 40,000th equal pay claim.

"This is a massive body of work for the union but equal pay is not a take-it-or-leave-it option, it is the law of the land and we will fight to enforce it."

Sue Townend, 51, has worked for Kirklees Council for 22 years as a home care assistant. She was originally offered just £7,000 to settle her claim but is due to get more than £20,000 in compensation, according to Unison.

A Kirklees spokesman said that like all councils it had been tackling the issue of equal pay claims for several years, adding: "The approach we have taken is one of settlement by negotiation so as to avoid the need, and cost on both sides, of employment tribunals. That is what has been achieved."