U.K.
Public services union UNISON has won an equal pay tribunal case against Bury council in the North West of England. Around 1,200 low paid women workers – cleaners, cooks and support staff – are set benefit from new pay arrangements that will mean they can earn the same kind of bonus payments, worth 33.3% or 50% of hourly pay, as are paid in male dominated jobs like labouring, gardening and refuse collection.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Cleaners at the Houses of Parliament have won their claim for a living wage and improvements to holidays and sick pay. After two days of strike action last year and high-profile campaigning, the cleaners will see their hourly pay rise from £5.20 to £6.10 in March, then to £6.40 in October. The target of £6.70 an hour should be reached in January 2007. Read more at > TGWU
Supported by the UNISON public service union, women workers at Sheffield City Council in the North East of England have won an equal pay case that is likely to have an impact across local government. The union argued that predominantly women workers in jobs such as social care were losing out as the predominantly male workers in jobs like street cleansing and gardening benefited from bonuses that could boost their basic pay by 30% or more. Read more at > UNISON (EN)