Unfairly paid

[SusanLisa]

My boyfriend is a printer. He works alone on his own press as does the other four printers in his factory. He has worked there about 10 years. The other four printers are on what they call 'full money' where as my boyfriend isn't. The other guys have worked there about the same amount of time, they work the same hours, do like for like work and produce work of equal amounts. My boyfriend has been asking for 'full money' for the past three years and was promised by his foreman he would get finally it in April, which didn't happen. My boyfriend arranged a meeting with his main boss, who then forgot about it and passed the decision onto the foreman who told my boyfriend, 'If I give you full money, it will cause confrontation' which my boyfriend knows to mean as a fact that another printer asked for a pay rise even though he receives the full wage, which was denied. The foreman has messed my boyfriend about over this for a long time and the story is too detailed for me to write it all down here and I would like to find a way to help him with his equal pay but dont know where to start. Can anyone give me any advise on how to handle it? Thanks

[Buenchico]

Your boyfriend has no legal right to receive the same pay as other workers. Unless the employment is covered by national legislation (such as teachers) or by collective bargaining arrangements (through a union or staff association), each employee's contract is entirely separate from that of other employees. As long as the employer pays the National Minimum Wage, and doesn't discriminate in ways that break the law (e.g. on the grounds of race or sex), it's entirely lawful to have employees doing similar jobs paid at different rates.

However, your boyfriend still has the right to raise a formal grievance, simply on the ground that promises have been broken. For advice about how to do this, start here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employe es/ResolvingWorkplaceDisputes/DG_10027992

Chris

[buildersmate]

Good advice, Chris.
He does have another choice as well - start searching for another job.

[sense4all]

So how are they ( other printers ) going to know what your boyfriend is getting paid unless he or the boss tells them... sounds like fobbing off to me. I would try to find somewhere else to work if I did not feel valued the same as the others in company. Shame tho'.

[PatriciaH]

Well how come trafford borough council got in lumber paying less than other counties for the same type of job and had to award people back pay to keep in line with other counties (different councils ) ? equal job = equal pay surely ?

[thugulike]

Equal Value/Equal Pay claims are for gender differences, not between colleagues of the same gender. Your BF should join the printers union. Does he work on a different machine from the others? I have dealt with printers cases and I know that the difference in machines can affect the pay rate. If your BF is on the same machine then he could formally complain and ask for a written answer. That should do the trick