Highland Council v TGWU/Unison & Ors [2007] UKEAT 0020_07_0712 (7 December 2007)

Highland Council v TGWU/Unison & Ors [2007] UKEAT 0020_07_0712 (7 December 2007)

For compliance with the statutory grievance procedure in equal pay claims, the grievance document must specify the comparator(s) by job or job type. If the comparators in the Tribunal complaint (ET1) are materially different from those in the grievance, section 32(2) of the Employment Act 2002 bars the complaint...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2007] UKEAT 0020_07_0712
Parties
Appellant: Highland Council; First Respondents: TGWU/Unison claimants; Second Respondents: GMB claimants; Third Respondents: Stefan Cross claimants
Jurisdiction
United Kingdom
Judgment Date
07 December 2007
Procedural Posture
Employment Appeal Tribunal / Appeal From Employment Tribunal Judgment After Pre Hearing Review
Outcome
Appeal allowed
Legal Topics
Equal Pay, Statutory Grievance Procedures, Specification of Comparators, Employment Act 2002, Equal Pay Act 1970
Employment Law Equality Law Equal Pay Statutory Grievance Procedures Specification of Comparators Employment Act 2002 Equal Pay Act 1970

Source-derived case record

Summary, issues, holding and outcome

More case intelligence is available

Unlock the full research layer for this judgment.

Full judgment text Downloadable case file Legal principles 3 Authorities cited 14 Party arguments 2
Sign in to unlock

Parties

Highland Council

Appellant

TGWU/Unison claimants

First Respondents

GMB claimants

Second Respondents

Stefan Cross claimants

Third Respondents

Procedural Posture

Employment Appeal Tribunal / Appeal From Employment Tribunal Judgment After Pre Hearing Review

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether claimants are prevented by section 32(2) of the Employment Act 2002 from presenting complaints specifying different comparators from those specified in grievances
  2. 2 Whether the statutory grievance procedure requires comparators to be specified in the grievance document for equal pay claims

Ratio Decidendi

For compliance with the statutory grievance procedure in equal pay claims, the grievance document must specify the comparator(s) by job or job type. If the comparators in the Tribunal complaint (ET1) are materially different from those in the grievance, section 32(2) of the Employment Act 2002 bars the complaint unless a new grievance is submitted. The Tribunal erred in holding that general reference to equal pay was sufficient without comparator specification.

Court Disposition

Appeal allowed

Orders

  • Order upholding the appeal
  • Remitted to the same Employment Tribunal to determine whether section 32(2) of the Employment Act 2002 applies, requiring assessment of whether each claimant's grievance specified comparators not materially different from those in the ET1