Bridging the gender pay gap

Almost 50 years after the Ford machinists went on strike at Dagenham, the UK still has one of the worst gender pay gaps in Europe. Angie Roberts, of the National Executive Council (NEC) said: “We call on the government and employers to take urgent action. Reporting introduced in 2018 has exposed the true gap in gender pay. The fight for equality is far from over – in fact – the gap is getting wider.” Wendy Trueman, from Salford city branch, said: “It is scandalous that men are still paid more than women.  Whether you’re Billy ending with a ‘y’ or Billie with an ‘ie’ you should be paid the same. “We need to be willing to hold employers to account, such as the public sector women workers have in Glasgow. Their success this year sent a strong message to employers and underpaid staff alike – that workers are stronger together.” This £548 million deal agreed by Glasgow Council in April was a major victory for low paid women workers, most of whom work in caring, catering and cleaning across the city. The agreement represents compensation for the pay lost due to a discriminatory pay and grading system, which had been in place since 2007. Speaking at the conference, one of the Glasgow city branch members, said: “Striking was not an easy decision, but the fight has to go on for social justice. This was a fight that had been going on for 12 years,” she said. “After talks in 2018 broke down, we knew we had to take action. It was about recognisin...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article 2019 National Delegate Conference Bridge the gap Cymru Wales equal pay gender pay gender pay gap Northern Ireland Scotland Source Type: news