Government urged to close gender pay gap
Government urged to close gender pay gap
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Monday, 24, Apr 2006 08:41
Equality legislation requires "radical overhaul" if Britain is to close the pay gap between men and women, a new report has claimed.
Women's group the Fawcett Society blamed poorly-enforced and overly-complicated existing legislation for the 17 per cent gender pay gap which currently exists in the UK.
Instead it advocates bringing all sex discrimination legislation into a single Equalities Act, enhancing the role of the unions in enforcing the law and widening mandatory pay audits to the private as well as the public sector.
"We have a once in a generation chance to reform the law and make a difference to the lives of millions of women," said Kate Bellamy, the Fawcett Society's senior policy officer.
"It's 30 years since sex equality legislation was introduced, but it's simply not effective any more."
Government rationalisation of equality bodies is already under way after the Equality Act passed through parliament earlier this year.
A Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) will be created which will deal with all aspects of equality legislation, including disability, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation as well as gender-based issues.
"If the government is serious about equal pay for women, it must seize this opportunity," Ms Bellamy said.
Today's report has called for the government to empower the CEHR to deal with the 67 per cent pay gap that exists for working women who have recently had children.
But with 30,000 pregnant women "unlawfully losing their jobs" each year, the Fawcett Society admits that a lot of work - and government resolve - will be required in the fight against gender inequality.