RCN welcomes AfC and equal pay ET judgement
Published: 03 April 2009
The Royal College of Nursing welcomes an employment tribunal reserved judgement in the 'Hartley' case which addressed issues surrounding the fairness of the NHS pay system, Agenda for Change (AfC). The RCN says this confirms that the pay is system is fair.
The tribunal said:
- the claimants have failed to show that there was systemic sex discrimination in pay systems in the NHS before the date of the collective agreement
- the claimants have failed to show that pay protection or payment of recruitment and retention premia amounted to a perpetuation of historic sex discrimination
- the national job evaluation system is an analytical job evaluation study which satisfies the Equal Pay Act.
RCN Head of Employment Relations, Josie Irwin says:
"This is a very welcome judgement and confirms what NHS unions have been saying for many years - Agenda for Change is an equal pay proofed system. The judgement confirms the job evaluation scheme is robust and that the pay system - a system that NHS unions and employers designed, negotiated and implemented is fair."
Read more on Agenda for Change in pay and conditions.