A DAD who is campaigning for equal pay for all Powys County Council employees who apply for parental leave has described support for his petition as “fantastic”.

Married father-of-one Barry Price is campaigning with wife Laura Thomas for dads, and other parents, to be entitled to the same enhanced pay rates during parental leave as biological mothers, on maternity leave, and adoptive parents.

The couple started their campaign after an employment tribunal rejected youth justice worker Mr Price’s claims of sex discrimination against his employer, Powys County Council.

The 36-year-old had wanted to take advantage of a scheme to allow him parental leave so he could be a stay-at-home dad to daughter Eliza, who is now one, and allow Laura to go back to work.

But the couple realised they couldn’t afford for Barry to be the main carer when it became apparent Powys council would only pay the statutory minimum pay rate even though biological mums and adoptive parents are entitled to an enhanced rate under the scheme.

A petition started by the couple has already received more than 500 signatures.

Mr Price, from Boughrood, said: “The support we’ve received has been fantastic, we’ve surpassed 500 signatures since we set it up late on Sunday night.

“We know that out of the 500, there is an amount who work for Powys who’ve signed the petition.

“We also know that on Facebook it’s been shared 35 times and I know about ten of them are Powys employees.”

He said the couple have taken encouragement from the response to their campaign since it was featured in this week’s edition of The Brecon & Radnor Express and launching their petition.

“We’ve always been aware that there is support there, but this sort of validates it. Before it was family and friends but now it’s a lot more widespread. People are recognising how widespread it is."

Though Mr Price wasn’t eligible for support from his trade union during the tribunal he said it is now supporting him.

“Powys have said nothing directly but I’ve spoken to Unison, and they’ve said if anything comes up of it as a result that they will support me I’m happy with the result because it means whatever happens, I’ve got the support of Unison.”

In his petition Mr Price said he was struck by what he perceives to be the unfairness of the council’s policy after chatting with colleagues who were entitled to enhanced pay: "A male colleague was entitled to take time off to bond with his son via the adoption leave policy. The time off included enhanced pay above the statutory minimum. This is exactly how it should be. My female colleague had taken maternity leaveand also received enhanced pay to support her to take time off to bond with her babies. This is exactly how it should be.

"I, a biological father, was sat in the middle and shared that my only available option in taking time off to bond with my baby (beyond the two weeks paid Paternity Leave) was via the Shared Parental Leave policy. A policy which ’does not’ include any enhanced pay or provisions. In the year 2019 this is appalling."

The couple’s petition can be found by clicking here

For more on this story see this week’s Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now