The unintended consequences of equal pay legislation
The 1997 Single Status Agreement was meant to end unequal pay between men and women working in local government. But the process of implementing the agreement has been fraught with difficulties all over the country. It has come to a head in Leeds where refuse collection workers have now been on strike for 5 weeks. The dispute is over a range of pay cuts that the Council says are needed to ensure it meets its equal pay obligations. Men are facing cuts to pay for equality legilsation in local authorities. The unions say these cuts will cripple workers on already modest salaries. Jenni is joined by Brian Strutton, National Secretary of the GMB Union and Jan Parkinson, Managing Director of Local Government Employers to discuss the unintended consequences of this equal pay legislation.
