New investigation into gender pay gap
The Trade and Industry Select Committee is to undertake a new investigation into the pay differential between men and women.
Trade unions and other equality groups are concerned that after years of equal opportunities legislation there has been little improvement in the pay gap between men and women.
The committee is to examine “occupational segregation” in the hope that more will be done to encourage fairer pay systems, especially in the scientific and high-tech industries.
It notes that: “One of the main problems in promoting equal pay between men and women is that many of the higher paid occupations tend to be dominated by men, while women form the majority of the workforce in a number of lower paid occupations.”
Conversely, girls are increasingly outstripping boys in terms of educational attainment both at school and university.
The decision comes five months after the Government announced plans to create a woman and work commission under Lady Prosser to examine the gender pay gap.
A statement from the committee, who have invited written evidence to be submitted by the end of January, said: “The Government has suggested that occupational segregation is acting as a brake on efforts to shift the UK to a knowledge-driven economy.
“A failure to increase the number of women entering highly skilled scientific and technological jobs is worsening skills shortages in these areas.”
The MPs expect to publish their conclusions before Lady Prosser and hope the government will take notice of their findings.
