News

Council pay female employees nearly 25% less, data reveals

Published

8 years ago

April 11, 2018

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL have been found to pay their female employees on average almost a quarter less than their male colleagues.

Businesses in Wales with over 250 employees were ordered to submit data on mean and median gender pay gaps by the Government Equalities Office last week. Only 5 of the 22 local authorities in Wales that employ over 250 workers have submitted the data as things stand, and it is Pembrokeshire that currently has the largest pay gap between men and women, at an average of 23.4% higher wages for male employees.

28% of the 5,250 people employed by Pembrokeshire County Council are women, yet nearly a third of them are in the bottom quarter of hourly pay, in comparison to the mere 8% of men in the same bracket. Nearly two thirds of men working at the council are in the top half of earnings, whilst only 45% of women can say the same.

Out of all the councils to have released figures, only Newport reported that female employees get a higher hourly median rate compared to their male equivalents, with the difference 3% in favour of women.

Janet Wyer, the UNISON Secretary for the Pembrokeshire branch said: “Pembrokeshire County Council’s workforce has always been bottom-weighted with low paid women in the lower grades. The imposed pay and grading structure of 2013 has done nothing to change that.”

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson responded to the findings, saying that: “It should be noted that a number of part-time jobs traditionally associated with women, such as cleaning, catering, care and clerical work, are the backbone of local government and are provided in-house by the council and not out-sourced (as in some other local authorities).”

This is not the first time the issue of gender pay equality has been levelled against Pembrokeshire County Council, as in 2016 a legal settlement was reached after 100 former female employees found they were not paid the full amount due to them under equal pay legislation, whilst working for the council in a variety of roles.

The total pay-out was believed to approach £200,000. This came after a £3.5m settlement by the Council to settle historic equal pay claims in 2012.

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.