Women’s bargaining power is about to be strengthened and we must not lose sight of the prize. The government’s plans to introduce greater protections for workers will disproportionately benefit women, who are more likely to have found themselves in increasingly precarious work as labour rights have been eroded.
Our work at the Women’s Budget Group over the last decade and more has evidenced the hugely damaging impact of austerity policies, not only on standards of living and the quality of public services, but – as a result – the economic position of women relative to men.
Over a quarter of part-time jobs are currently paid less than minimum wage (compared to 7.5 per cent of full-time jobs) and women make up the majority of part-time workers. Women also slightly outnumber men on zero hours contracts, making up 53 per cent. Between 2010 and 2020, self-employment among women in the UK increased at a higher rate than any other category of employment, dominated by women aged over 50, migrant, and black and minority ethnic women.
So, tackling exploitative contracts, simplifying worker status, and improving the national minimum wage are some of the planned measures in the bill that will help to restore and progress women’s workplace rights.
We also welcome measures to increase the time limit to make a pay discrimination case from three to six months – something we and others in the women’s sector have been recommending for years. Too many women face redundancy while on maternity leave and have been expected to address this injustice while recovering from birth and caring for a newborn.
The position of women in the labour market has improved significantly in the 56 years since the Ford Dagenham strikes of 1968 triggered the first Equal Pay Act. But not enough has changed. Women can still expect to be paid less per hour than men, work fewer hours, earn less per week than men, and therefore save less and retire with less in their pension pot than men.
This is because not enough has changed in the sharing of unpaid care and domestic work outside of paid work. Women, on average, do 50 per cent more unpaid work than men a week – juggling their jobs around their caring responsibilities. If they have children, they will see the income gap between them and their male partners or male peers open up considerably.
With promises of greater protections for workers, collective bargaining for care workers, improvements to the national minimum wage and action to end exploitative zero hours contracts, the employment bill will restore and progress working women’s rights, especially those on the lowest incomes.
But to really see a historic shift in progress for women’s economic equality with men, this government must commit to reforms that incentivise the sharing of care between men and women, and that starts with improving the individual entitlements to maternity and paternity leave.
Christina McAnea, general secretary, Unison
“Hundreds and thousands of employees are having to put up with poverty wages, intolerable working conditions and discrimination.
“Care staff, teaching assistants, cleaners and catering staff are among those who do skilled jobs but are undervalued and ignored. They deserve so much better.
“The new deal promises to transform the lives of working people especially women, black workers and those with disabilities, who are often treated the worst.
“A fair pay agreement in social care, a genuine living minimum wage and pay equality will encourage staff to stay working in essential public services, instead of leaving for better paid jobs elsewhere.
“Abolishing exploitative zero-hours contracts and controversial fire and rehire practices will provide much-needed job security, especially for those balancing work and caring responsibilities.”
Dr Sara Reis, deputy director and head of research and policy, UK Women’s Budget Group
“Unpaid work is the root cause of women’s economic inequality. It means that women are more likely to be economically inactive, in low-paid, part-time or precarious forms of work. They are therefore more likely to be poor, and have lower levels of savings and wealth than men .
“These inequalities have a negative impact not just on women’s circumstances but also on our local communities – it means an estimated £88.7bn in lost output to local economies every year, the equivalent of the whole financial services sector contribution. At a local level, the average regional economy is losing out on £1.68bn per year – nearly 10 per cent of existing annual economic output in some areas.
“It is therefore vital that government undertakes meaningful and comprehensive equality impact assessments (EIAs) to ensure the Employment Bill successfully addresses long-standing inequalities while making real strides towards creating an economy that works for women, an economy that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed to building.”
