Frances O’Grady criticises government plans to tackle gender pay gap as insufficient

Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, has criticised the Government’s attempts to tackle the gender pay gap as insufficient.

This week Nicky Morgan, Women and Equalities Minister, announced that companies failing to address the gender pay gap will be highlighted in new league tables.  Speaking on the Daily Politics Show, O’Grady said that she welcomed the Government’s initiative but criticised it as “small step” that’s more about reporting and than taking action.

She urged the government to stop cuts to nurseries and provide a “proper system of care for older people”. O’Grady also slammed employment tribunal fees, which she said have made it more difficult for women to take equal pay and gender discrimination claims to court.

O’Grady said that it is “crazy” that women on average earn 80p for every £1 men do.  She said that there is still job segregation and questioned why  other jobs are more valued than looking after children.

This comes after Kate Green, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Women and Equality, criticised the Government’s approach.

“While Nicky Morgan likes to claim there is nowhere left to hide for gender inequality, it is her government’s policies that have consistently worsened and entrenched economic inequality for women.

“81 per cent of savings through tax and benefit changes since 2010 have come from women, maternity discrimination is out of control on the Government’s watch and domestic violence and rape crisis centres have closed across the country because of a lack of long term, sustainable funding.

“While the measures announced today go some way to address the UK’s gender pay gap, these announcements fight against a tide of Tory policies which are hitting women hardest,” she said.