Unions are facing the threat of a compensation bill for as much as £100m in the wake of an appeal court ruling that they broke the law by discriminating against women indirectly in the way they settled equal pay claims in local government. The appeal court ruling backed claims by 26 female Middlesbrough borough council staff that they had been misled by the GMB in settling an equal pay claim in April 2005. The court of appeal ruled the GMB had discriminated against women by coming to a settlement that did not do enough to win them back pay for past discrimination. Lawyers' claims that unions could face a bill of £100m as over 7,000 cases involving Unison, and 4,000 involving the GMB, could now develop into compensation demands. The GMB has said it will seek an appeal, but the appeal court last week did not give it leave to appeal.
The Guardian