Women and Work

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Conference
2005 National Delegate Conference
Date
28 February 2005
Decision
Carried as Amended

UNISON recognises the significant inequalities still faced by women at work.

Conference condemns the continuing pay inequalities across all sectors and notes that women working full time still earn, on average 18 per cent less than men, and part-time women workers 40 per cent less than men.

Conference deplores this continuing pay discrimination which devalues the work of public and private sector workers. Low pay, term time and part-time working are all areas where women are particularly at risk of discrimination.

Conference recognises the many additional demands placed on women particularly around employer inflexibility and caring responsibilities and calls on the National Executive Council to campaign for:

1)effective equal pay legislation;

2)mandatory pay audits and full funding to tackle the gender pay gap across the economy, in particular the public sector;

3)a requirement on private contractors to carry out pay audits;

4)a requirement on employers to promote equal treatment for part-time workers;

5)investment in training and career development;

6)flexible arrangements for all workers who have care responsibilities for children, elders and other dependants;

7)action to ensure equal access to pension schemes and their benefits;


8)funded initiatives to encourage work life balance.

Conference calls on the National Executive Council to demand that the government ensures that initiatives to close the gender pay gap are fully funded, legally enforceable, and address past inequalities as a matter of urgency.