GMB union have today responded to Birmingham City Council's announcement that it will introduce a raft of governance measures in an attempt to address equal pay liability at the authority.
This comes as the Council announced mandatory spending restrictions at the authority after council leadership accepted liability is anticipated to be as much as £760 million.
Michelle McCrossen, GMB Organiser, said:
"Accepting the Council's equal pay liability is only the first step on the road to fixing pay discrimination at the Council.
"Our members have faced unacceptable delays and distraction for too long; it's time for the Council to take action.
"It's right that the City Council take serious steps to address it's own shortcomings, but reviews cannot be used to kick a solution into the long grass.
"Our members were not consulted on today's announcement and there is the real risk of history repeating itself if unions are cut out of the process to find solutions to the Council's failings.
"Let’s be clear - GMB is currently engaged in a legal process pursuing the council for equal pay compensation. The council’s legal defence has been absolutely obliterated by the Chief Executive’s admission that they owe up to £760 million they’ve stolen from their workers. Yet we’ve heard nothing as to how they intend to fix the mess they’ve created.
“The council should start by being transparent on how they’ve calculated the £760 million liability, and then work with GMB on a route-map to delivering equal pay, once and for all.
“The council’s liability is growing, and GMB members won’t be made to wait for pay justice”.
.jpg?width=400&height=320)
