I am astonished. News from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that equal pay is too much to hope for in the midst of a recession is one of the most depressing comments that I've heard for a long time.
There is no doubt that the legal process that claimants have to get through in order to assert their legitimate right to equal treatrment before the law is labyrinthine. However, to soft pedal the requirement for companies to hold equal pay reviews is an admission akin to saying that the 17% pay gap between men and women is a low priority.
Worse yet, an entirely new equal pay act is apparently needed, and will take years of work to construct. Now, either there is an assumption that the Conservatives will be equally convinced of the need for expeditious progress towards equality in the workplace (don't all laugh at once) or that Labour will be re-elected with a majority sufficient to push it through (didn't think that you'd stop laughing...). Either way, why should it take that long?
What next, not enforcing the National Minimum Wage because it puts jobs at risk? Actually, given the visibility of the teams who enforce it (have you heard of many prosecutions lately?), perhaps that's already happening.
The EHRC is supposed to be the body which campaigns for equality, yet it appears willing to sacrifice the disadvantaged in order to fulfil the new Peter Mandelson inspired New Labour agenda. They need to take a stand, and be more assertive in campaigning for equal rights. We need to be standing with them to provide some moral support.
2 comments:
However, to soft pedal the requirement for companies to hold equal pay reviews is an admission akin to saying that the 17% pay gap between men and women is a low priority.
But that's the point thugh, isnt it? It is a low priority..to the CBI, the Govt and anyone else who stands to lose out!
If it wasn't the recession, there'd be another reason why these things can't be implemented.
A change in law, does not (actually may rarely, come to think of it) lead to a change in behaviour - a cultural change is always needed first.
Now I'm off to go and have a cup of tea before I get even more depressed about it all...
Jo gets it right - its not in the interests those who have the power to allow equal pay...
She is also right in saying a cultural change is needed, one which is slowly coming, but not quick enough for my liking...
As for the minimum wage, it should be abandoned because it does price the least skilled (the young usually) out of the job market (this arguably has all sorts of knock on social effects)
True, it hasn't had much effect whilst the economy was doing well, but as things tighten up its unfortunately likely to have more negative effects...
(A telling example of the injustice of the minimum wage is the way in the US and South Africa it was used to price black labour out of the market (black labour being cheaper thanks to other long standing discrimination)).
Naturally, as well as removing the minimum wage, we should remove the licensing and regulation which restricts the labour market in favour of existing large businesses as well as all corporate welfare.
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