Scottish court victory features in new equal pay campaign

UNISON's court victory against fees and charges sought by "no win, no fee" solicitors who process equal pay cases, is to feature in a new UNISON campaign.

The initiative builds on UNISON’s place as the leading provider of equal pay claims and aims to make workers aware that - in Scotland - solicitors cannot take a percentage cut from a client’s compensation, and they cannot put penalty clauses into legal contracts.

Called Which way to Equal Pay? posters, leaflets and press advertising will be used to point out that UNISON offers FREE legal assistance with equal pay claims, and we may be able to help if members have been threatened with fees and penalty charges, like Edinburgh home help Jacqueline Quinn.

When Newcastle-based lawyer Stefan Cross threatened to take her to an English County Court to enforce a penalty clause in the contract she signed with him, she came to UNISON.

We took her case to the Court of Session, and an interdict against these threats was granted. The campaign wants all members who have been tempted to sign up with solicitors like this to be aware, that - in the words of Jacqueline Quinn - they should “Stick with the union. Everyone should be in the union.”

After all, she knows that UNISON can protect members from hassle and cost when they exercise the right to pursue a claim through UNISON’s free legal service.

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