unequal pay

northernstar007

at the co i work been there just over 3yrs, i started off on rock bottom pay (18k), went for a increase to 21 and got it (2020)
seeing my exact job same co but in london starting 23k-27k, do i have a case for unfair wages and should i join a union before i speak to my manager

tacpot12

No, you don't have a case for unfair wages. The cost of living in London is particularly high, and there been a long standing acceptance that jobs in London, and to a lesser degree the South-East, need to pay more. 

That said, I would recommend joining a trades union in case you have any sort of dispute with your employer. 

northernstar007

thanks for your reply tacpot, i was in a similar situation in my last job, and a job evaluation was put in place, can this not be put to my employer, i know what your saying about london being higher paid, but being on 21k to someone on 27 doing the same job is ott at my expense

comeandgo

Where I worked I don’t know if any two people doing the same job had the same wage due to number of years there, how good they negotiated their wage, their performance.  If you think you are not paid enough, either negotiate or look for new job.

FatherTireseus

You don't say what part of the country you are in.  But the first thing that came to my mind is, if you want to be paid the salary of a job in London, you could always move to London and do the job.

If you don't want to do that because you might be worse off overall (higher rents, higher travel costs) then I don't see that you have a case to argue.

I worked in Central London over 25 years ago and the large company I worked for had a specific 'Inner London allowance' on top of the normal banding for the job. As I recall it was in the region of £3,300 to £3,400 all those years ago.

I'm not sure how far you'll get with the argument that you want London wages if you're not based there.

northernstar007

so if i was a female i would have a claim but being a male i dont (should work both ways) and the co is infact on the outskirt of london, and i`m up north of england

comeandgo

northernstar007 said:

so if i was a female i would have a claim but being a male i dont (should work both ways) and the co is infact on the outskirt of london, and i`m up north of england

If the reason for the wage difference was due to sex of the worker then regardless of which sex you are you could take action but I bet it’s got nothing to do with the gender, it’s all to do with location and demand.

[Deleted User]

northernstar007 said:

so if i was a female i would have a claim but being a male i dont (should work both ways) and the co is infact on the outskirt of london, and i`m up north of england

No, because London weighting isn't restricted to women. Men are also allowed to live in London. 

theoretica

You have the option to apply for the London job, and move if you get it.

TELLIT01

As I understand it equal pay applies within an employer, not across the industry or the country.  If you want more pay than you current employer is willing to give, the only option is to find another employer.

Grumpy_chap

northernstar007 said:

at the co i work been there just over 3yrs, i started off on rock bottom pay (18k), went for a increase to 21 and got it (2020)
seeing my exact job same co but in london starting 23k-27k, do i have a case for unfair wages and should i join a union before i speak to my manager

It is quite usual for any role to have a salary range, as that reflects the individual's progression in the role before they move up to a new role. 

It is not "unfair" wages unless the variance is because of a protected characteristic and there is nothing to suggest that is the case here.

Salaries in London can often be higher to reflect the cost of housing, commuting, etc.  It's also not unfair because, presumably, you are not being prevented from applying for the jobs in London.

When is your annual salary review period?  If rises are in place from April, then you could seek to engage your employer from return in the New Year to state your case for an increase.  You have seen the jobs advertised in London with the same employer, while that is useful for you to know, direct comparisons can sometimes backfire. 

It can often work well to structure any claim for a salary increase purely focused on you and totally positive.  By all means mention that it is 2 years since you had a meaningful review, but then follow on with the way you have improved at the job role in that time, your better output and the added-value you now bring to the company. 
Demonstrate your worth to the business. From what you've written about the rates, you could state that it is your aspiration to reach "mid-£20k's" and the company would not see that as a shocker.  You could even reference that you feel that reflects a "fair market rate" (but not specifically the advertised job with the same company in London).
The reason for the vague "mid-£20k's" target is, if they revert with, say £23.5k, you've secured a good uplift and can still save face.  From there, you could express your thank, but say that you still aspire to reach the £25k target and what would be the measures and personal improvements you'd need to achieve to make that a reality?

Good Luck