Gender Pay Gap has widened under FF/PD Govmt
Issued : Wednesday 21 February, 2007
22nd February is the day when women have caught up with men in their earnings for 2006. European Gender Pay Gap stands at 15%. In Ireland the gap has widened under FF/PDs to 16%.
GENDER PAY GAP HAS WIDENED UNDER FF & PDS
Labour Women are joining with Socialist Parties throughout Europe to highlight the ongoing gender pay gap that equates to 15% difference between the average salaries of men and women across the continent.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow's day of action by the Party of European Socialists, Chair of Labour Women, Sinead Ni Chulachain, said "Had all men throughout Europe stopped working at the end of 2006, women would have had to work on until 22 February 2007 in order to earn what their male counterparts earned in the 12 months of the previous year.
"For that reason 22nd February was deliberately chosen as the date for highlighting the European gender pay gap. Every year men have several weeks head-start on women when it comes to average earnings.
"In Ireland the gender pay gap is 16% - slightly above the European average. Research shows that female graduates in their first job earn 11% less per week than male graduates. So the gap exists even before women have entered family-formation years.
"While in the public sector there is no significant gender difference in hourly pay, in the private sector the discrepancy between rates for men and women can be stark."
"Women's caring responsibilities have an effect on career and pay. We would like to see men take on more caring responsibilities so that both genders benefit equally from work in and out of the home.
"In 1997 the national gender pay gap narrowed to 15%. Yet in 2003 Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats had allowed the gap widen to 16%. The Labour Party is committed to reducing the gap in wages between men and women as a key element of our responsibilities in this European Year of Equal Opportunities for All."
