Equal pay bargaining in the UK local government sector

Abstract

This article explores recent developments in equal pay bargaining in the UK local government sector. It situates equal pay bargaining against the implementation of a new single status agreement designed to promote equality at work and the supporting regulatory lever of the Gender Equality Duty. The implementation of single status has been fraught with tensions, despite the government’s encouragement for an integrative approach by employers and unions. In simple terms, the cost of equal pay settlements has constrained and stalled implementation. Yet the bargaining environment has also become more complex, with a proliferation of strikes over equal pay claims and increased recourse to litigation. While recent legal judgments pose potential challenges for how unions represent members, bargaining within the sector over equal pay claims is likely to become increasingly litigious.