New equality rights introduced today
01 October 2010 09:51
The Government today introduced new equality rights which ministers said will help stamp out pay discrimination.
Most provisions of the Equality Act come into force from today, including a measure to stop pay secrecy clauses being used to hide unfair differences between what men and women are paid.
Around 90% of the Act is introduced today, making the law simpler by bringing together nine pieces of legislation under a single banner.
The Government said it will announce in due course its plans for the remaining parts of the Act.
The change in the law coincides with the release of Made in Dagenham, a British film about women workers at the Ford assembly plant in East London who launched a campaign in 1968 to demand equal pay. Their actions led to the creation of the 1970 Equal Pay Act.
Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality Theresa May, who recently met four of the original strikers, said: "Thanks to pioneers like the women who feature in Made in Dagenham, the workplace is much fairer than it was in 1968, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
"In these challenging economic times it's more important than ever for employers to make the most of all the talent available. When a company reflects the society it serves, it's better for the employer, the employees and the customers, so being a woman should never be a barrier to being treated fairly at work.
"From today the gagging clauses that stop people discussing their pay with their colleagues will be unenforceable, allowing women and men to find out if they're being paid unfairly.
"This move towards transparency is just one part of the Equality Act, which also makes it easier for businesses to comply with discrimination law by streamlining the equality laws, and provides more protection to disabled people."
Other changes coming into force today include extra protection for disabled people and new powers for employment tribunals.
The Fawcett Society campaign group warned that the Government's failure to implement the Act in full risked widening the gender pay gap in the current and foreseeable economic climate.
Chief executive Ceri Goddard said: "Forty years after the Dagenham machinists first went on strike for equal pay, women working in Dagenham earn an average 30% less than men and nationally the gap between the average man and women's pay is a staggering 16.4%.
"It's ironic that the film charting their struggle hits cinemas the same day that the key equal pay measures in the Equality Act are being held back by Government.
"Rowing back on the requirement for big business to publish and take action on any differences in pay between men and women employees - so to conduct gender pay audits - is tantamount to endorsing the shocking gender pay gap."
Unite's assistant general secretary Diana Holland, said: "This is an important milestone, but not the final word. We must stand by equality as ConDem cuts hit and threaten to widen inequality.
"We must stand by equality as we make sure the new Act comes in, in full. We must also draw inspiration from the Ford sewing machinists' struggle for equal pay in 1968, which led to the equal pay rights we have today as depicted in the new film. They stood by equality. We must too."
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