Thousands of Sheffield women set to launch major equal pay claim against city council

Some women workers could be missing out on more as much as £11,000 annually

Thousands of Sheffield women are set to launch an equal pay claim against the city’s council today (Monday).

Some of the women workers are thought to be missing out on up to £11,000 a year.

The claim centres around Sheffield City Council’s job evaluation scheme – which GMB research shows routinely discriminates against women dominated roles.

Through a ‘job family’ scheme, Sheffield Council is underpaying those who work in female dominated roles, such as cleaning, caring or housing allocation.

The claim will be officially launched at the Sheffield Women of Steel Statue, in Barkers Pool, S1 4FT at 10.15am on Monday 25 September. [1]

Women dominated roles are missing out on, annually in full time roles: [2]

• Cleaners underpaid £1,710
• Care managers £7,301
• Senior teaching assistants up to £11,383

GMB is calling on women from across the council workforce to get in touch to discuss whether they have a claim.

Sue Wood, GMB Senior Organiser said:

“What we have uncovered in Sheffield is truly scandalous.

“The council are using a rotten job allocation scheme that actively discriminates against its female workforce and opens up thousands of potential equal pay claims.

“We are determined that this injustice must end and call upon the Town Hall to step up, commit to ending this blatant discrimination and scrap this unfair scheme.”