- Conference
- 2020 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 22 October 2019
- Decision
- Carried
50 years since the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in the UK, there is no sector in the economy where women are paid the same as men. In 2019 the median pay gap was a shocking 11.9 per cent. In the public sector the pay gap is a shocking 16.7 per cent, an increase of 0.7 per cent from 2018. Despite the Government imposing disclosure rules that name and shame employers it is not making a significant impact to eliminate pay inequality. Conference notes that the pay gap does not just impact on earnings it cuts across all aspects of women�s lives. Our earnings make a huge contribution to our families. The missing 16.7 per cent would offer so much more. In terms of our local communities, that is 16.7 per cent loss in income for women able to be spent at local level. In addition, it is money lost to the public purse through our taxation system. The public sector is the largest employer of women in the country. UNISON women are the voice of women in the public sector and it is incumbent on us to tackle inequality with our employers. Women frequently are over qualified for the jobs they are doing. Maternity and caring responsibility, along with the pay gap impacts on promotion and career opportunities. Pay inequality in women�s working lives leads to continuing inequality in retirement and in pensions. Conference we cannot continue to betray our daughters and granddaughters by letting another 50 years go by without achieving pay parity with men. We work for it and we deserve it. This Conference instructs the National Women�s Committee to: 1)Highlight the impact of the gender pay gap on our women members and campaign for an end to disparity between men and women�s pay in the public sector; 2)Work with our service sectors to develop strategies and negotiating priorities to redress pay inequality; 3)Work with our Labour Link to develop Labour Party policy to tackle gender pay discrimination in the public sector.