Fair or discrimination

[bexta]

Hi All. I just wanted to get some outsiders points of view on my work situation.

Here goes:
I have been working for a sales dominated PLC for the last 4 years. The company employs over 1000 staff.
I originally joined the company to do clerical work and am still obiding to the agreement I signed when I started.

18 months ago my job role changed. I joined the IT department as I was the only one in the entire company that was willing to do it.
My job role now is very technical as I have to administer the network and I am 1st, 2nd and 3rd line support for users.
I have had my usual annual payrise for good performance but nothing that reflects the actual role I am doing.
After doing a little research, the average wage for my job is �6,000 more than I get!

In addition to this, they also employed another IT person about 17 months ago.
He has many years of experience and they therfore have given him a company car, company mobile and he is reffered to as my senior.
The IT manager has no IT knowledge what so ever so does not understand much of what we do.

My collegue and I do the exact same work, over the same hours and we have the same manager and responsibilites yet he gets perks and I don't.

The only difference is that he has experience and I don't. I think that this is irrelevant as we both do the same thing, plus he has no formal qualifications and I am working towards my MCSE which in my opinion will be worth more than his experience.

One other difference I forgot to mention, he is a man (obviously) and I am a girl.

Can anyone give me there opinion on my situation? Or have any idea's how I can be thought of as on the same level as him by others?

Thanks in advance.

[Twenty20]

I think youve probably got good enough reason to bring this up with your manager.

My only question would be how you actually know that someone in the same job as you (I presume you mean in your company) is on �6k more than you?

If the colleague who joined shortly after you is really doing the same job as you then you probably have a god case.

[bexta]

Hi. Thanks for the response.
I do not know what anyones wages are, no one will discuss it at work.
I got the �6k more figure from payscale, after doing a survey detailing what my role involves it came out with a average wage for someone in my area. The figures are all based on other peoples answers.

I know my collegue is doing the exact same job, everything is like for like.

Could you give my any tips how I can go about this without causing ant friction with my manager?