In 1988, the Labour Court upheld the equal-pay claim by seven female employees of Kayfoam Woolfson Limited, recommending the same basic rate and weekly machine money of £3.75 for each. The determination was signed on 21 November 1988.
The company had appealed the Equality Officer’s recommendation, while the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers’ Union appealed over its non-implementation. The Court assessed the work performed by the employees and their male comparators, including during factory visits. It found each claimant’s work at least as demanding as A. Piggott’s and rejected the company’s argument that flexibility justified higher basic rates for men.
The Court also found no grounds other than sex to justify paying machine money to Piggott but not to the claimants. It concluded that all seven were entitled to Piggott’s basic rate and machine-money rate from 25 March 1983.