Union challenges contractors over school meal workers' pensions

The GMB general union is accusing Islington council in north London of sex discrimination in its treatment of school meals workers.

The school meals service is to be taken over by catering contractor Scolarest. The council has said that the school meals workers cannot remain members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The GMB, which is already funding 160 equal pay cases against the council on behalf of its members, is now threatening to pursue cases on behalf of the school meals workers. The GMB says that in other recent cases of privatisation, involving the education department and building maintenance, both with predominantly male workforces, employees were allowed to retain membership of the LGPS.

GMB organiser Keith Williams said: "To privatise the school meals service is one thing but for the council to deny its low paid, female employees the right to continue with their existing pension arrangements is both unfair and discriminatory."