- Conference
- 2005 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 20 October 2004
- Decision
- Carried
Conference recognises that average women’s pay has in recent years fallen below average men’s pay. In view of this, Conference welcomes legislation aimed at ensuring that pay is paid on the basis of what is done and the skills and knowledge required.
Most of UNISON’s members are women, therefore for local government workers single status offered real hope that something would be done about the inequalities of pay for women within local government. Local government workers have consistently seen their pay eroded in real terms for many years now.
However recent preliminary single status results in Coventry have raised concerns among our members about the criteria on which single status is based. Of those people who require pay protection, if the deal currently on the table is accepted, management has informed us that currently 68 per cent are women. Many of these are in predominately female jobs such as cleaners, secretaries, clerks, administrative assistants, library assistants, receptionists and other front-line jobs. These are also some of the lowest paid workers in local government.
It is virtually impossible for each branch to assess whether single status is delivering equal pay or whether there remains inherent sexism underlying the provisions of single status.
As the National Health Service embarks upon Agenda for Change, it is important that we learn from the lessons of single status. Conference recognises that the government in deciding to fund Agenda for Change has already removed some of the downward pressures upon pay that job evaluation can bring to bear.
Equal pay affects us all; the results of single status will affect anyone embarking on securing equal pay for equal work and therefore all of UNISON’s women members wherever they work.
Conference therefore calls on the National Women’s Committee to:
1)work with the Local Government Committee to undertake analysis to assess how single status has affected the pay of women across the country and whether it is delivering the equal pay that it has promised;
2)report back to National Women’s Conference 2006.