Originally Posted by
RAT 5
[I]I was a victim of this scenario some years ago. I had a direct contract, a colleague had exactly th see eroded contract at the same base. He received, unwritten, extra benefits and expenses. Under EU law I was considered to be treated 'less favourably'. Employed on the same contract to perform the same duties, but for different recompense. Illegal.
To employ 2 people doing the same job but on different pay is not illegal, unless the difference can be proved to be discriminatory and based on sample sex, race, age, religion a.s.o.
It is quite the opposite than same pay in most jobs. People are paid differently often based on educational background, experience, circumstances, preferences and how good they are at their job. Unless the workplace is very heavily unionised, where pay often end up as a lowest common denominator and differences becomes based on non-personal qualities like how long you've been with the company. Good for some that feel week, are sick a lot, old, or want to prioritise extracurricular activities. Not so advantageous for the young of good health that are forward, organized and ambitious.
If your plan is to work as a donkey for a few years to get up and above gaining quick promotions, then the union is not your friend. If you want to wait years while other and in your mind less motivated colleagues becomes fo / captain / training captain / base captain based only on length of service and the date they joined, and you want to stay with the same company and type untill your retirement, then the story might be different. But remember even then you are depending on the company thriving. A quick back of the hand calculation might say that the company can afford your groups rise, but what about the 12000 others that will also want a piece of the cake.