27/01/2006

Prison staff receive £50 million equal pay deal

More than 3,000 equal pay disputes in the prison service have been settled in a deal worth around £50 million, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced.

The union said that individual payouts would range from £500 to £50,000, depending on grade and the length of time an application has been lodged.

The settlement will also see existing pay scales revised, which will see some starting salaries rise by £3,000.

The settlement follows an employment tribunal and other court hearings, dating from 1999. The hearings focused on equal pay claims for women mainly working in support administrative and managerial roles with male prison officers and governors.

The union had argued that pay gaps of up to £4,000 currently exists between the admin and management grades when compared to equivalent prison officer and governor grades respectively. These will be closed as part of the settlement.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "This is a significant step in addressing the pay inequalities that riddle the civil service.

"Finally, after over seven years of legal process, the perseverance of PCS members means that the prison service are taking steps to address the glaring pay inequalities."

(KMcA/SP)

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