A group of low paid women workers have been silently fighting for justice, for almost ten years, against the might of the Haberdashers Monmouth Schools, The Beacon has been told. The women workers claim they have been denied access to the schools' pension scheme and have been fighting an equal pay claim through the Employment Tribunals since 1998. However, they claim they have been frustrated by the schools' delaying tactics and the arguments of their legal team. But, in a statement on Tuesday, the School said it had always acted properly in the matter and was anxious to sort out the workers' claims. The Beacon met some of the workers this week, when the claims were outlined. What became clear was that, with some of the women workers coming up to retirement, some were facing the prospect of not living to see the outcome of their claim. They said, because of this, they have decided to make their fight public to try to pressurise the schools into settling this dispute. Dominic MacAskill, Regional Organiser of Unison the trade union supporting the women workers in their claim, stated: "I became involved in this case four years ago expecting that the claim would soon be positively concluded, however it soon became apparent that the Haberdashers schools would go to any lengths to frustrate and oppose their staff's claim". Mr MacAskill went on to say "Our members have been extremely patient and have to date kept their rebellion silent, but as time has gone on they have become increasingly angry at the attitude of the schools and now want to make the public aware of how they have been treated by this bastion of the Monmouth establishment". At a mass meeting in May, the Unison membership in the schools decided that they were prepared to make their campaign public, and if needs be take their protest to the gates of the schools, in order to embarrass the schools into moving this case forward. At this week's meeting, workers said the schools' were very lucky to have had such a loyal and long serving staff over many years. "All we want is for the schools to give us our rights, they are spending more in legal costs than it would cost to settle this dispute" said one worker. Unison outlined the history of the dispute, saying: "Back in 1998 a large group of low paid women workers, aided by their trade union ñ Unison, decided to take on the might of the private school establishment in a fight for equal pay with their fellow male workers. "These women had been denied access to the Haberdashersí Schools pension scheme and they are claiming that the schools had discriminated against them because of their sex in breech of Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination legislation. "The case involves around 50 current and retired workers at the Haberdashers Monmouth Schools. All claimants are members of Unison. The claimants are/were employed as Admin Assistants, Assistant Matrons, Cooks / Chefs, Cleaners, Supervisors, Domestic, General/Kitchen Assistants,, Housemothers and Shop Manageress. "It is alleged the Claimants were each excluded from the Haberdashersí Monmouth Schools Pension Scheme because they were part time employees. In contrast, full time employees were eligible to join the pension scheme on a voluntary basis. The make up of the workforce was such that part time workers were predominately female and the full time workers predominantly male. "As pensions are understood to be, in effect, deferred pay this is an equal pay claim against the Schools and the Claimants are comparing themselves with male full time workers undertaking work of equal value. "The claimants have identified 15 male worker comparators who they claim do/did work of equal value but because they were full time workers they had access to the Schools pension scheme. "For the period that the claim refers to, the Schools pension scheme was a very generous non contributory scheme completely financed by the Schools and therefore represented a significant deferred financial benefit to its members. "The claim has now been running for almost 10 years and has been kept in the long grass of the complex Employment Tribunal system by the effective work of the Haberdashers London based barristers and the delaying tactics of the schools. In a statement, the Schools' said: "Claims by some part-time employees to join the Schools pension scheme are currently being adjudicated by an Employment Tribunal. "There have been many complex legal issues involved which have necessitated referrals at a national level to the European Court. "The individual cases brought before the tribunal cover various periods of time before 1996 and in some cases stretching back as far as 1976, where there may be very limited records in existence to substantiate the claims made. "The key issue is for the Tribunal to decide whether the claimants are eligible to be members of the pension scheme in question and, so far, the claimants have failed to provide to the Employment Tribunal the evidence to support their claims. The Schools have always tried to meet the deadlines for providing the information required by the Tribunal and is currently responding to their most recent request for information. We are as keen as Mr McCaskill to resolve the cases speedily".
