⚖️ Workplace Pay Gaps

• Dawn Butler highlighted various pay gaps, including gender, ethnicity, and disability, noting that without action, it could take another 40 years to address them. She emphasized the need for transparency and actionable plans to ensure pay equity.

• Kim Johnson pointed out the ongoing racial pay disparities, mentioning that the Employment Rights Bill is an opportunity to extend equality action plans to cover ethnicity gaps, in addition to gender.

• Jim Shannon discussed regional differences, focusing on the progress and remaining challenges in Northern Ireland regarding teachers’ pay and gender pay gaps. He called for legislative action to address disparities.

• Steve Witherden raised concerns about the motherhood pay penalty, which significantly contributes to gender pay gaps. He welcomed government efforts in the Employment Rights Bill to improve parental rights.

• Iqbal Mohamed stressed the importance of enforcing reporting requirements on large employers and extending these obligations to smaller businesses. He called for measures ensuring the implementation of equality action plans.

• Deirdre Costigan focused on the disability pay gap, mentioning that disabled workers earn significantly less than non-disabled workers. She supported the new Labour Government’s plans for an equality Bill and highlighted the need for better adjustments in the workplace.

• Stella Creasy argued that addressing pay gaps is crucial for economic productivity and advocated for policies like a “right to know” colleagues’ pay to combat discrimination. She expressed concerns about inadvertently increasing the gender pay gap through certain workplace policies.

• Brian Leishman discussed the broader context of inequality, highlighting that it affects various aspects of life beyond just pay, and called for a comprehensive approach to addressing these systemic issues.

• Christine Jardine emphasized the need for equal pay across different groups, including gender, ethnicity, disability, and LGBT+. She advocated for policies like affordable childcare and shared parental leave to address these gaps.

• Ben Obese-Jecty questioned the effectiveness of current legislation and asked for details on government plans to close pay gaps, including how they will enforce new laws and address specific demographics like mothers and high earners.

• Seema Malhotra, the Minister for Equalities, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing pay gaps through legislation like the equality (race and disability) Bill, which will mandate ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. She highlighted ongoing and future consultations to ensure the effectiveness of these measures.

• The debate underscored a collective call for faster action to close pay gaps, with emphasis on transparency, enforcement, and legislative action to ensure fairness and equality in the workplace.

The session displayed minimal disagreement among the participants. Throughout the debate, there was a consensus on the urgency and importance of addressing workplace pay gaps across various demographics, including gender, ethnicity, and disability. All speakers, including members from different political parties, such as Labour and Conservative, expressed support for policies aimed at reducing these gaps. The Minister for Equalities, Seema Malhotra, outlined the government’s commitment to introducing legislation to tackle these issues, and there were no significant counterarguments or opposition from any member. Even the contributions from opposing parties were more focused on clarifying and urging more action rather than opposing the general direction. The atmosphere was one of collaboration rather than contention, with various suggestions put forward on how to improve current strategies, but all within the framework of supporting the overarching goal of closing pay gaps.