Women to take on trade unions over equal pay dispute handling

ALMOST 1400 women are preparing to launch legal action against their trade unions over the way officials dealt with historic equal pay disputes within Scotland’s councils.

The workers, some of whom claim to have lost out on tens of thousands of pounds, are lodging claims against Unison, Unite and GMB under a new class action process introduced earlier this year.

The claims – 800 of which are due to be lodged at the Court of Session within weeks – are being brought by claims management firm DM Legal Claims, who are pursuing arguments of negligence, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty on behalf of the women.

Leading advocate Robert Milligan QC has been instructed in the case, which centres on allegations that union officials failed to timeously pursue equal pay claims on behalf of members and deterred some women from pursuing cases against local authorities.

Alison Martin, of DM Legal, said: “This all began with workers from North and South Lanarkshire getting in touch, but then Glasgow happened and we started to hear from women there, too.

“Our QC, Robert Milligan, wants to steam ahead, especially now with the new litigation proceedings in place, so we plan to lodge the Lanarkshire cases within weeks.”

In DM Legal’s cases, the majority of the claims are against Unison, with around 300 against GMB and less than 50 against Unite.

A spokesman for GMB Scotland said: “DM Legal have been threatening to take legal action against trade unions for the last five years. They’ve taken tens of thousands in fees from low paid women but have never raised a claim. If any claim is ever lodged, GMB will respond in the appropriate forum.”

DM Legal charge a £ 100 upfront fee and 20% of any settlement.

Unite declined to comment and Unison failed to respond to our sister paper The Herald’s request for comment.