Cash-strapped Wolverhampton City Council spends £19m on equal pay settlements
Cash-strapped Wolverhampton City Council set aside almost £19 million to deal with equal pay claims in 2013/14 alone – but lawyers say there could still be thousands of workers owed money for the years they were underpaid.
After an equal pay shake-up at Wolverhampton City Council in April 2013, more than 5,400 staff had their pay increased under the Single Status agreement.
At the time, the council set aside £30m to fight and settle equal pay claims, and reports from 2008 show the council had already paid out £33m in equal pay compensation.
Last week equal pay legal director Darren Smith revealed thousands of staff who benefitted from increases in 2013 could still make claims.
While the council would not reveal how many claims it had settled as it was confidential, spokesman Gulraj Kular said: "We are able to confirm that a sum of £18.7m was provisionally set aside in 2013/14."
The council has to make £134m of cuts and savings in the next few years, and has axed 2,000 jobs.
