{"id":10400,"date":"2025-10-17T14:49:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T13:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/?p=10400"},"modified":"2025-10-17T14:49:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T13:49:26","slug":"barnet-launches-major-equal-pay-action-spanning-council-and-latcs-easycouncil-faces-first-london-wide-test-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/2025\/10\/17\/barnet-launches-major-equal-pay-action-spanning-council-and-latcs-easycouncil-faces-first-london-wide-test-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Barnet launches major Equal Pay action spanning council and LATCs \u2014 \u2018EasyCouncil\u2019 faces first London-wide test case"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"PRESS RELEASE: <\/strong>For immediate release:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Barnet launches major Equal Pay action spanning council and LATCs \u2014 \u2018EasyCouncil\u2019 faces first London-wide test case<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barnet UNISON has today submitted three collective grievances<\/strong> triggering a borough-wide Equal Pay claim<\/strong> across the London Borough of Barnet<\/strong>, The Barnet Group (TBG)<\/strong> and Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS)<\/strong> \u2014 the council\u2019s two wholly owned arm\u2019s-length companies (LATCs).<\/p>\n

Branded \u201cEasyCouncil<\/strong>\u201d during its peak outsourcing years, Barnet now faces an Equal Pay challenge that cuts across council services and its LATCs, echoing the ground-breaking 2023 Glasgow decision<\/strong> confirming that local authority trading companies are not a shield<\/strong> against Equal Pay liability where the council is the single source capable of rectifying pay inequality.<\/p>\n

Helen Davies, Branch Chair, Barnet UNISON<\/strong>, said:
\n\u201cWomen in Barnet\u2019s schools, care and community services have waited long enough. We\u2019ve now filed Equal Pay grievances with all three employers because the evidence is overwhelming \u2014 and because LATC status doesn\u2019t make discrimination disappear. If Southampton, Sheffield and Birmingham<\/strong> can settle multi-million-pound claims, so can Barnet<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barnet UNISON\u2019s case covers multiple strands including task-and-finish uplifts<\/strong>, Christmas bonus payments<\/strong>, DLO payments<\/strong>, and pension access issues for LATC staff<\/strong>. The union is seeking a negotiated, borough-wide settlement framework<\/strong> that treats council and LATC workers consistently, rather than siloed processes.<\/p>\n

A fast-growing national picture<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barnet\u2019s action lands as councils across Britain confront Equal Pay liabilities:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Southampton City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Settlement agreed (July 2025) for ~800 staff; task-and-finish<\/strong> disparity.<\/li>\n
  2. Sheffield City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Agreement (Sept 2025): ~3,600 staff \/ ~260 roles; ~\u00a336m<\/strong> redress.<\/li>\n
  3. Birmingham City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Framework to settle (Dec 2024) following Section 114.<\/li>\n
  4. Coventry City Council<\/strong> \u2013 ~680 claims ongoing (2025); >\u00a330m<\/strong> exposure; ET listed Nov 2026.<\/li>\n
  5. Brighton & Hove City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Claims lodged\/flagged (2024\u201325), thousands indicated.<\/li>\n
  6. Bradford MDC<\/strong> \u2013 Legal action launched (July 2025) for female-dominated roles.<\/li>\n
  7. Knowsley Council<\/strong> \u2013 Union warns of \u201ctens of millions\u201d exposure (Oct 2025).<\/li>\n
  8. Leeds City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Unions inviting case forms (2024\u201325).<\/li>\n
  9. Derby City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Ongoing disputes; >\u00a31.5m<\/strong> spent defending cases.<\/li>\n
  10. BCP Council<\/strong> \u2013 Corporate papers flag equal-pay litigation risk (2024\u201325).
    \nScotland:<\/strong><\/li>\n
  11. Glasgow City Council<\/strong> \u2013 Continuing settlements\/updates (2023\u201325); key LATC precedent<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  12. Fife Council<\/strong> \u2013 Tribunal success reported (July 2022); further claims lodged.<\/li>\n
  13. Falkirk, Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire<\/strong> \u2013 Equal-pay disputes\/strikes (2024).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Helen Davies added:<\/strong>
    \n\u201cThis could be the first of several London Equal Pay cases<\/strong>. Barnet helped pioneer outsourcing; now it should lead on putting pay equality right \u2014 across the council and<\/strong> the companies it owns.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Call to the employer<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Barnet UNISON has invited the Council, TBG and BELS to enter a Memorandum of Understanding<\/strong> for structured negotiations covering data disclosure, scope, timelines and remedies, so staff don\u2019t wait years for justice.<\/p>\n

    Media contact:<\/strong>
    \nBarnet UNISON \u2013 contactus@barnetunison.org.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Notes to editors:<\/strong><\/p>\n