- Conference
- 2017 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 11 October 2016
- Decision
- Carried
In August 2016 a report publishes by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed how the Gender Pay Gap is growing year on year after childbirth.
Many Women are forced to leave better paid jobs due to the pressure of caring responsibilities and the lack of flexible working.
Without more well paid part time jobs and affordable childcare the gender pay gap will take years to close.
Conference by the age of 42, mothers who are in full time work are earning 11% less than full time women without children.
And Conference, it is among the lowest educated women that the pay gap has increased the most. The pay gap widens for 12 years after childbirth for mothers to the point that they are earning 33% less an hour than men.
To address the motherhood pay penalty we call upon the NWC to work with all relevant bodies including the TUC and and Labour Link to campaign for:-
1) More support for equal parenting roles to stop women being held back at work
2) Better paid leave for partners
3) Free childcare from the end of maternity leave to help younger mothers with less seniority and lower pay to stay in work
4) More better paid jobs, to be available flexibly, i.e. job shares, part-time working, compressed hours etc
5) Better enforcement of legislation against discrimination linked to pregnancy and childbirth
6) Improved access to justice – new mothers should not have to pay £1,200 to challenge pregnancy discrimination at tribunals and they should be given longer than 3 months to pursue a tribunal claim.