UK women win over £1bn in equal pay claims as tens of thousands of cases remain unresolved

27 December 2025 , 13:34

717     0

UK women win over £1bn in equal pay claims as tens of thousands of cases remain unresolved

Women workers across the UK have secured more than £1 billion this year after successful equal pay campaigns led by the GMB trade union, highlighting long-standing pay inequality in local government.

The union said hundreds of thousands of women employed by councils in roles such as care, cleaning, and catering have been paid less or placed on worse terms than men in male-dominated jobs like refuse collection, despite the roles being of equal value. Thousands of women who were underpaid for years have now received compensation for lost earnings.

However, the issue remains far from resolved. Around 40,000 equal pay claims are still outstanding across 28 local authorities, with the GMB estimating their value could reach hundreds of millions of pounds. An additional 10,000 new claims are expected to be filed this year.

Rhea Wolfson, GMB’s head of industrial relations, said it was a “national shame” that such claims were still necessary more than 50 years after the Equal Pay Act. She warned employers that the union would continue to pursue equal pay cases wherever women are found to be underpaid compared with men, in both the public and private sectors.

Thomas Brown

Head of Investigations