MP - 'It's time to end gender pay gap once and for all'

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams has said that statistics showing the gender pay gap for Greater Manchester is 12% means that ‘there is much more to be done to achieve parity in pay’, even though the national figure is higher at 18%.

Statistics released by the Office for National Statistics show that in April 2017 the gender pay gap for people working in Greater Manchester was:

12% for all employees, compared to 16% for the North West and 18% for the UK.

4% for full-time employees only, compared to 8% for the North West and 9% for the UK.

-6% for part-time employees only (meaning median pay was higher for women working part-time than for men). This compares to -5% for the North West and the UK.

[Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Gender pay gap is based on median hourly earnings excluding overtime.]

Abrahams, who set up and chaired the Oldham Fairness Commission in 2013, said: “Although these statistics show the gender pay gap is smaller in Greater Manchester than across the rest of the UK, we should remember that it was 1970 when Labour introduced the Equal Pay Act and nearly 50 years later, women are still paid on average over 18% per cent less than men nationally.

“It’s time to close the gender pay gap once and for all.

"But to address these deep rooted inequalities, we need action, not just audits and there is much more to be done to achieve parity in pay between men and women.

“That’s why I set up the Oldham Fairness Commission, to address issues like this, because it’s only by working together that all our agencies will be able to pinpoint the best use of our scarce resources to tackle some of the most ingrained inequalities in our borough.”

The Government recently introduced a requirement on large employers to audit gender pay.

Labour’s policy goes further and will ensure that gaps are not just being identified, but that necessary action is being taken to close them; this reflects the work of the Oldham Fairness Commission.

Employers which meet the criteria will obtain government certification and will be considered for government procurement contracts.

The economy and businesses also stand to benefit, with a recent PwC report estimating that closing the gender pay gap could bring benefits to the UK economy of £90 billion.

Last year Iceland, which consistently ranks as the number one country for gender equality, became the first country in the world to require firms to prove what action is being taken to achieve equal pay.

Abrahams added: “The next Labour government will require all large employers to prove how they plan to tackle their gender pay gaps and prove they are equal pay employers.

“Labour will make it a priority to close the gender pay gap and tackle the structural barriers facing women across our society, creating a country that truly works for the many, not the few.

“Building a country for the many not the few means real action to close the gender pay gap.

"That’s why Labour will make it mandatory for large companies to conduct audits and produce action plans.

"Those with good gender practises will receive government certification while those that fail to take action will face fines.

“If the Tories were serious about tackling the gender pay gap they would back Labour’s policies to close the pay gap not just monitor it.”