GMB votes for equal pay deal

Members of the GMB general union at the Cumberland Infirmary have voted in favour of an equal pay agreement that will see nurses receive back pay of up to £150,000 depending on length of service.

The deal with North Cumbria Acute NHS Trust has already been agreed by members of public services union UNISON (see last month's Labour Research). It compensates staff for 13 years of NHS pay rates that unfairly favoured men.

The workers could get an interim payment of up to £8,000 immediately.