Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap

Debate between Tristram Hunt and Gloria De Piero

Wednesday 1st July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Gloria De Piero]

Well done! [Laughter.]

[Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab)]

Not proportionally.

[Gloria De Piero]

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.