- Conference
- 2024 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 15 September 2023
- Decision
- Carried
> The intersection of sexism and racism mean that often women of colour experience compounded disadvantage. A new report from the Fawcett Society supported by the #EthnicityPayGap Campaign, shows how the ‘Motherhood Pay Penalty’ means that mothers with two children take home 26% less income than women without children which impacts across the earning power across her working life and compounds the effects of the ethnicity pay gap. The biggest driver of the motherhood pay penalty is reduction in hours worked, which is often associated with poor-quality part-time work. This report shows that the options for picking up more hours after having children are limited for Black and minority women because of the dual impacts of sexism and racism, with many dropping out of the workforce entirely. The research shows that:
> • While mothers of all ethnicities move into part-time work at similar rates, there are stark differences by ethnicity in the number of mothers who leave the workforce completely
> • The employment rate of white mothers is 5% lower than that of white women without children, whilst women of Indian, Black African, and Chinese heritage see penalties of up to 11% less compared with women without children of their own ethnicities
> • 38% of mothers of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage are employed vs 55% of all women in the same ethnic group – this 17 % employment gap is the highest of all ethnicities.
> In addition to this ,the current cost-of-living will affect us all, but the impact will be disproportionately felt by those who are already struggling to make ends meet such as Black members and more so black women who already take home up to 26% less income if they are a mother . This current cost-of-living crisis combined with existing problems such as low wages paid to Black members who are often discriminated in employment .
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> Research conducted with the New Economics Foundation, shows that Black members are more likely to be in low paid and insecure work than white workers. 18% of Black members are in low paid and insecure work such as having too fewer hours, zero hours contracts, or a short notice of shift patterns, compared with 15% of white workers, combine this with motherhood the results are shocking .
> In addition to this, research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2017 and by the Resolution Foundation in 2018, shows that the ethnicity pay gap is longstanding, and that while some progress has been made to close these gaps many ethnic groups still experience lower pay than white British workers, with workers in Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic groups receiving the lowest median hourly pay.
> In London the percentage difference in median hourly pay between people of a white ethnicity and all those who belong to an ethnic minority group stands at a staggering 21.7%, the highest in the country.
> Low pay isn’t just about struggling to ends meet, it means physical and mental stress and ill-health, affecting family life and the daily battle to put food on the table. It means a life without security and stability and difficulty planning for the future. These are the effects of poverty, and they disproportionately affect Black members.
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> Conference calls upon the National Black Members Committee to:
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> 1)Work with the National Executive Committee to identify ways in which branches can increase their support for Black women .
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> 2)Research how the motherhood pay gap is impacting on our members working in public services, eg. by surveying members and branches;
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> 3)Consider producing bargaining guidance for branches and regions to address this Motherhood Pay Penalty.
> 4) Work with Branches to ensure there is adequate provision of welfare through the use of our Welfare officers within Branches .
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