< Gas Equipment Safety

Equal Pay Claims May be Heard by Civil Courts

The High Court has ruled in the case of Abdulla and others v Birmingham City Council that equal pay claims can be pursued through the civil courts when the 6 month time limit for pursuing through an Employment Tribunal has expired

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The case involved 174 former Council employees who were attempting to make an equal pay claim, having learned that some of their former colleagues had made claims and received equal pay compensation.  Each of the 174 employees had left the Council more than 6 months previously and were therefore out of time for making a claim under an Employment Tribunal.

The ruling in this case could potentially lead to significant numbers of similar claims being made in future.  However, employees may be more cautious about making claims through the civil courts as they may be liable for paying costs to the employer if their claim is unsuccessful, whereas with Employment Tribunals such costs awards are rarely made.

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