Dumfries and Galloway public sector workers win historic equal pay case

"This is a complex case, which has been considered by Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, Court of Session, and now the Supreme Court.

"The Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Session both ruled in our Council’s favour. The Supreme Court judgment is the most recent stage of the legal process.

"The appellants, including classroom assistants and nursery nurses, now have won the right to have their jobs compared to those of male manual workers, such as road workers and groundsmen.

"This judgment has implications for many local authorities and other public bodies. Our Council will now consider its position in response to the Supreme Court judgment."

This is a landmark case in equal pay across the UK. UNISON’s determination to fight for our members has successfully defended the intentions of the Equal Pay Act.

"Losing this would have been a serious setback for the Act itself.

“It is a disgrace that it is taking so long for women to get equal pay with men and that councils have fought to defend discriminatory practice in this way.

“More than 40 years after the Equal Pay Act, and after 30 years of equal value claims and 20 years after Scottish local authorities and trade unions reached agreement on implementing equal pay, there is finally no hiding place.

“The unions, the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government have been telling council leaders to get this sorted out.

“We are proud that it was UNISON alone who got the final answer from the Supreme Court. It is time for councils to stump up and give our members what is due to them.”

“I am delighted that the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of our women members. It is a shame, though, that they have had to go through this process and endure a seven-year wait, just to get equal pay.

“Dumfries and Galloway Council should take immediate steps to correct their pay and I urge other councils to follow suit. We have nearly 2,000 cases on hold, waiting for this judgment.

“Employers should be in no doubt that this union will continue to pursue cases until all women are treated equally.

"There are far too many who are still discriminated against and far too many employers who are using every single legal argument and loophole to dodge their obligations under equal pay law.”