Hundreds of female workers have had their test claims for equal pay against Sheffield City Council rejected by a tribunal.
A number of current and former female staff, including supervisory assistants, senior supervisory assistants, day services assistants, and home support workers, claimed they had been underpaid in the past despite fulfilling the same role as their male counterparts.
The women had been hopeful of victory, following a number of successful claims against other councils.
Unions Unison and the GMB are set to appeal against the ruling.
Ken Green, assistant chief executive – organisation/development and communication at Sheffield City Council, told Personnel Today that he was pleased with the outcome, adding, however, that the council recognised that the employees concerned would be disappointed.
“The council is responsible for public funds and we felt in the circumstances that we had to defend the claims. We were pleased the tribunal had examined our pay practices and found them to be fair, but were also concerned to ensure we continue to deal fairly with all of our employees in the future. We will continue to defend claims where we feel we can legitimately do so.
“We are finalising work to modernise our approach to pay and reward, ensuring we continue to recognise the contribution made at various levels by our employees,” Green said.
