Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap

Tristram Hunt Excerpts
Wednesday 1st July 2015

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Gloria De Piero Portrait Gloria De Piero
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Well done! [Laughter.]

Gloria De Piero Portrait Gloria De Piero
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Not proportionally—the shadow Education Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Tristram Hunt), is performing the role of Carol Vorderman. It is a delight to see my male colleagues on the Labour Front Bench today.

Some 41% of female jobs are part-time jobs, yet on an hourly basis this part-time work is paid a third less than the full-time equivalent. So, to get a real picture of the extent of pay inequality in Britain between men and women, we have to recognise this full-time/part-time pay gap. Otherwise, we will never take the steps needed to encourage the creation of higher-paid, flexible working at every level in our economy.