PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE EQUAL PAY ACT (1 June 2010)

That this House celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act; notes that the Act was introduced following a historic campaign by female Ford workers in Dagenham who were being paid 87 per cent. of the rate paid to male colleagues doing the same work; expresses its deep concern that women working full-time can still expect to earn on average 16.4 per cent. less than men, with the figure rising to 36 per cent. for women working part-time; believes that such a gap is completely unacceptable in the 21st century; welcomes the provisions included in the Equality Act 2010 which aim to close the gender pay gap, including powers to allow the Government to require employers, from 2013, to report on the gender pay gap in their companies; and calls on the Government to demonstrate its commitment to closing the gender pay gap by making equal pay law more transparent and accessible and by introducing mandatory gender pay audits unless significant progress is made swiftly to close the gender pay gap.

Sponsored by:
Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour)