The Government has released proposals today to cut the 18
per cent gender pay gap. In a new consultation document, called Towards Equal
Pay for Women, there are proposals to cut red tape and speed up equal pay
hearings.
Employment Minister Tessa Jowell said: “Speedier and simpler
equal pay tribunals are vital if we are to achieve equality for women. Even
without any breaks for children, a mid-skilled woman will still earn £240,000
less than a man over her working life.”
The proposals include:
- shortening
and simplifying the rules on how tribunals deal with equal pay cases - enabling
tribunals to call in an assessor to give expert advice - simplifying
the claims procedures where a group of women have essentially the same
case - and
removing a loophole which allows tribunals to dismiss a claim before it
has been properly investigated.
Last year, nearly 2,500 equal pay complaints were made to
employment tribunals but it can take years for applicants to get a result.
The consultation period runs until 19 February 2001.
www.dfee.gov.uk/consultations/equalpay
By Mike Broad
