I read with interest the article "Fair pay deal for council workers held up" (The Argus, August 12).

Our union, the GMB, played the key role in the development of the agreement that we had hoped to sign recently with Brighton and Hove City Council. This is a groundbreaking agreement around job evaluation, which will go some way to tackling low pay in local government.

The main beneficiaries are likely to be part-time women workers such as education support staff who, for too long, have been treated as second-class citizens.

The GMB has never been afraid to criticise the council. However, while a delay in signing the agreement is unfortunate, it should ultimately enhance the process. The delay will ensure that those whom we elect to run our public services and tackle issues such as low pay are fully signed up to the agreement. The political machine tends not to function to the same degree in the holiday season. Nor should we forget that all parties to this agreement have had to go through a lengthy process of consultation within their respective organisation, not least the other union involved, Unison.

Regardless of whether the agreement is signed, the process has begun and much can be achieved in the next few weeks.

The aim of the GMB is still for our low-paid members to see tangible benefits from this process in months and not years. Having the leading Labour group endorse the agreement is welcome.

-Gary Smith, GMB organiser, Brighton