TUC wants right to bring group cases on equal pay

The TUC is calling for a new right for unions to bring group cases in pursuit of equal pay for female employees.

Deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady has urged the main political parties to take decisive action to close the gender pay gap and has outlined a raft of proposals to achieve this.

In a speech to the TUC/ Equal Opportunities Review discrimination law conference held in London on 21 January, O'Grady identified radical measures to 'make 2005 the year that equal pay becomes a reality'. These include introducing the right for unions to take group cases on behalf of female employees and forcing employers to publish equal pay audits.

'A tribunal hearing a case on behalf of 500 dinner ladies has to consider 500 separate applications,' she said. 'It is not surprising that it can take years to win a case. Until unions are able to take group cases on behalf of female employees, the gender pay gap looks set to stay as wide as ever.'

Referring to the expected 2005 general election, O'Grady emphasised that 'time is of the essence, and we need real commitments in party manifestos that can make pay parity a reality'.

  • TUC calls for right to bring 'class actions' on equal pay   Michael Millar reports, from personneltoday.com.

  • Make 2005 the year that equal pay for women becomes a reality   Read the complete text of Frances O'Grady's speech, as published on the TUC website.

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