Addressing delegates at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC), Neica McLorinan – Usdaw rep said: “The law on equal pay in the UK is broken. It has remained virtually unchanged for more than half a century. While my union welcomes both the Labour Government’s commitment to closing the gender pay gap and the publication of their Equality Bill extending the law to disability and ethnicity, more needs to be done if we are truly serious about bringing about pay equality in the UK and closing these gaps for good.
“The reasons why women, Black, LGBT+ and disabled workers are paid less than their co-workers are well documented and, while they may vary, discrimination in the labour market underpins them all. It pushes these groups of workers to the margins of the economy and keeps them stuck in lower-paying jobs, in low-paid sectors.
“I understand that this is a complex area of law, but in my experience, there is perhaps too much talk in board rooms of talent pipelines and networks of senior leaders; and not enough conversations with women workers about real flexible working, or with disabled workers about reasonable adjustments, or with Black workers about training and promotional opportunities.
“Yes, the gender pay gap is closing, but it is closing at so slow a pace, it barely registers with the majority of women workers. Our calls for action are clear, realistic and practical. They are necessary steps in bringing about pay parity and long-lasting change.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Expanding equal pay legislation
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