NHS equal pay victory

Women workers have won an important ruling in a long-running equal pay claim against Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust. A panel of independent experts, appointed by the employment tribunal, has said that the applicants' jobs are of equal value to the comparators used.

The women catering assistants, clerical officers, sewing machine assistants, porters and telephonists are comparing their pay with that of craftsmen and their supervisors, labourers, works officers and maintenance assistants.

The Newcastle employment tribunal is expected to hold a further hearing next month.