Europe in Action: Speech therapists' equal pay case backed

HEALTH service speech therapists stand to gain pay rises of up to 60 per cent based on a report by a senior EC official, writes Barrie Clement.

The commission's Advocate General has advised the European Court of Justice that the 3,000 therapists, 99 per cent of whom are women, have a case under European law preventing sexual discrimination. The court is expected to accept the advice.

Equal Opportunities Commission officials have argued in British courts that the women should be paid the same as clinical psychologists and pharmacists, predominantly male, who are paid up to 60 per cent more than the therapists.

The women's salary scales are between pounds 3,000 and pounds 12,000 a year lower than their male colleagues.

The case was brought by Dr Pamela Enderby, a senior therapist, eight years ago.