Acas staff claim sex bias over pay levels

Half the workforce at arbitration body Acas is making a claim against their
employer of indirect sex discrimination. The Public Services and Commercial
Services Union is bringing the action on behalf of 464 of its members in a
dispute over pay levels, which are linked to length of unbroken service rather
than the experience and contribution of individuals.

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Although some men are being represented in the action, the union alleges
that women have been most affected by the system because they take career
breaks to have children and are then penalised because their length of service
has been broken.

Acas, which employs about 800 people, has launched an arbitration scheme,
designed to avoid the traditional, time-consuming and costly employment
tribunal process.