CALLS for more action to tackle the gender pay gap are being stepped up amid new research showing that women are more likely to be in low-paid jobs.
Today is Equal Pay Day, when women effectively start working for free for the rest of the year as a result of the pay gap with male counterparts.
Dawn Butler, shadow minister for women and equalities, said: “The fact that Equal Pay Day has fallen on the same date for three consecutive years shows we still have a very long way to go in the fight for equality.
“This Conservative government has failed to tackle the underlying structural issues that result in women being paid less than men.
“To address these deep-rooted inequalities, we need action from government, not just audits.”
The Living Wage Foundation said that more than one in four jobs filled by women pay below the voluntary living wage, compared with fewer than one in five for men.
Tess Lanning, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “One of the factors driving the UK’s gender pay gap is that women are more likely to be in low-paid jobs and sectors, particularly administrative, cleaning and caring roles.”
A Government Equalities Office spokesman said: “This year over 10,000 large employers published gender pay gap information for the first time under this government’s world leading reporting regulations.
“But we know that reporting is only the first step, which is why we have published evidence-based actions employers can take to close the gap, and are encouraging them to develop a plan to tackle the causes.”
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