Six police women, who held senior administrative posts with South Wales Police Authority, have been awarded between £7,600 and £19,000 compensation, in a claim for equal pay for work of equal value.
A seventh woman, Linda Webb, has been awarded an interim payment of about £8,000 pending further reports over the next three months.
In a joint statement, the seven women – Webb, Barbara Kenefick, Annette Stephens, Maria Spence, Colleen Reason, Dorothy Morgan, Susan Williams – said: “We are relieved at the outcome of our case for equal pay. It’s a wonderful result and should pave the way for more equal pay claims as South Wales police still have no job evaluation scheme in place.”
All the women worked in areas that carried heavy responsibilities for managing large budgets, but they were consistently paid less than men working at a similar level. Five are still employed by the police authority.
The women were backed by Unison, the UK’s largest union, which is warning other police authorities that they could face similar claims, if they fail to pay women what they are worth.
“These women are owed money for the work they have done and I am glad that at last justice has been done,” said Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison.
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“This case is a warning to police forces across England and Wales to get their act together or face a hefty bill.
“They must look carefully at their own procedures and carry out equal pay audits to ensure they are equality proofed,” he added.
