Ministers must “step up” on gender pay gap, says TUC

• Gender pay gap reporting was introduced in 2017 – but TUC says pay gap is closing “at a snail’s pace”
• Union body calls on ministers to require companies to publish action plans on how they plan to close their gender pay gaps – and to strengthen access to flexible work

Commenting on the gender pay gap reporting deadline today (Tuesday) for companies with more than 250 employees, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Working women deserve equal pay. But the gender pay gap is closing at a snail’s pace. At current rates of progress, it will take more than 20 years to close it.

“That’s just not good enough. Ministers must step up, or we will consign yet another generation of women to lower pay.

“It’s clear that just publishing gender pay gaps isn’t working. Companies must be required to publish action plans to explain what steps they’ll take to close their pay gaps. And these measures should be extended to ethnicity and disability as we know Black and minority ethnic and disabled women face even larger pay gaps.

“Flexible working is key to keeping mums in jobs and is our best way of closing the gender pay gap.

“Ministers must change the law so that every single job is advertised with the possible flexible options stated, and all workers must have the legal right to work flexibly from their first day in a job.”