TUC demands an end to the gender pay gap

While the government says it plans to permanently close the gender pay gap, a clear action plan is needed. Importantly, women need better access to flexible working and the sexism around women in senior roles must be eradicated. This has to start with proper reporting, across all sectors, to see where decisive action is needed.

Proposing the motion, Julia Prince, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, explained that the gender pay gap is not about equal pay but labour market disadvantages. Women are overly concentrated in lower paid jobs and this is an outcome of structural, educational, social constraints. Childcare is unaffordable and often taken on by women because of historical inequities. Shared parental leave is a policy failure - leave should be available and financially possible for all parents.  She said, “Women need pay justice now. And so do our public services.”

Supporting the motion, Emma Scott on behalf of PCS said: “The closing of the gender pay gap needs to be addressed now, not in ten years’ time. The UK civil service has a majority female workforce with a 9.1% gender pay gap. The government needs to get its own house in order.

“TUC analysis showed that women effectively work the first 52 days of the year free. And PCS research shows that  men in the civil service earn about £3k a year more. Our union has a long-standing history of winning equal pay disputes. But progress has been far too slow. Let’s ensure that the gap really does close for good under this government.”

The motion was carried, calling specifically for a group to deliver an action plan, challenge the status quo, improve career progression for carers, widen the Public Sector Equalities Duty so as to demand that employers report on how they are working to close gender pay gaps, and giving partners and fathers a dedicated period of parental leave.