Public sector bodies in the North of England are far more aware of equal pay legislation than their counterparts in the South, according to employment lawyer SAS Daniels solicitors.

Tobin, partner and a specialist in public sector employment issues, says: “What I’m seeing and experiencing is indicating Northern local authorities appear well advanced compared to their counterparts in the South. Why? Well, quite simply they have had to be ahead of the game as litigation has snaked its way down the country with the Northern authorities being the primary target for a number of ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors who see a new potentially golden compensation egg.

“It’s coming up to 1,000 days since we passed the deadline for implementation of local authority pay reviews, designed to ensure staff receive the right pay for the right role, but, to date, many local authorities have still not completed the process.

“However, in my experience, local authorities in the North of England have knuckled down and set the pace, and many have implemented the new pay systems ahead of some of their Southern counterparts.  The AGMA (Association of Greater Manchester Authorities) councils are well placed in this respect.

“Nevertheless, the nature of the agreement between local authorities and the unions means that the next few years are going to be extremely challenging for local authorities.

“The unions have now awoken and are quickly following the ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors in seeking out potential equal pay claims.

“This is borne out by the fact that for the first time in 2007/2008, more equal pay claims were lodged across the country’s Employment Tribunals than unfair dismissal claims. In light of this, I expect to be working with many local authorities in particular who find themselves on the receiving end of multiple litigation.”