LABOUR’S GENDER PAY GAP INFORMATION BILL
In March 2017 during International Women’s Week the Labour Party published a comprehensive policy paper on gender equality in the workplace.
‘Closing the Gap’ outlines a range of proposed policy measures. Central to the policy, and to closing the 13.9% gender pay gap in Ireland is the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill.
This Bill passed second stage in the Seanad in May 2017, and requires medium to large sized companies with 50 or more employees to regularly publish wage transparency surveys that would highlight any difference in pay between their male and female employees. The UK has introduced similar measures, while it has been proven to work in Belgium.
Labour spokesperson on Enterprise and Innovation Jan O’Sullivan TD is also available to speak to reporters today and tomorrow on the gender pay gap.
Senator Ivana Bacik, who introduced the Bill in the Seanad, and recently appointed Labour spokesperson on Communications is available to speak to reporters today.
Labour’s policy paper ‘Closing the Gap’ which also addresses the incidence of women earning the minimum wage and in low pay jobs, how we support women into work, lower childcare costs, and gender balance on state boards is available here: https://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/closing_the_gap.pdf
ENDS