The equal pay crisis has become so big for councils that schools in their area may have to cover some of the costs. Sandwell MBC, which has a projected equal pay bill of £35m in the education sector alone, has warned schools could be forced to cough up a share of the bill. And senior local government figures have warned Sandwell is unlikely to be an isolated case. Deputy council leader Cllr Pauline Hinton said it was ‘the very worst case scenario', but added the council had a responsibility to raise the issue. ‘The council's current legal advice is very clear that schools are properly liable for the costs of these claims. The way forward will be through joint working and shared legal advice,' she said. Cumbria CC has already had their appeal over a pay discrimination claim rejected by the Employment Appeal Tribunal. As a result almost 1500 low-paid female Unison members are closer to receiving money owing to them over a year after the claim was first heard. The women, who work as care assistants, home carers, kitchen assistants, cooks and night care assistants, won their claim of pay discrimination at another tribunal in March 2006. The council appealed, arguing the tribunal had misunderstood the evidence and treated the council unfairly. They also alleged the tribunal had been wrong to decide the productivity-based bonus schemes paid to male employees were not justified. ‘The writing has been on the wall since the employment tribunal last year and the council should face up to their responsibilities,' said Dave Prentis, general secretary for Unison. ‘Stop wasting time and more council taxpayers' money on costly legal arguments and give these women the money owing to them.'
