Women have won more than £1 billion in equal pay they were owed following campaigns by GMB Union.
Hundreds of thousands of women working in councils across the UK in jobs done mainly by women, such as care, cleaning, catering, are graded lower or have worse terms and conditions than male dominated roles like refuse collection - even when they are of equal value.
Thanks to GMB campaigns, in councils from Birmingham to Falkirk, thousands of those who were systematically underpaid for years compared for male colleagues have now been paid £1.095 billion in money they were owed.
But as 2026 looms, 40,000 claims remain outstanding across 28 local authorities – likely to run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
A further 10,000 claims are set to launched across five more councils.
Rhea Wolfson, GMB Head of Industrial Relations, said:
“Fifty years on from the equal pay act, it should be a source of national shame we have to make these claims.
“But it’s amazing to know more than £1 billion pounds will now be paid to the women who are owed it – including around £250 million confirmed to Birmingham women just before Christmas.
“Employers need to take note in 2026 – wherever GMB sees women being underpaid compared to men, in the public or private sector; we are coming for you.”
