It is forty years since the women sewing machinists at the Ford Motor Company Plant in Dagenham went on strike over a regarding of their jobs. Their protest led directly to the passing of the Equal Pay Act. However since Equal Pay legislation came into force progress in closing the gender gap has been slow. In 1975 women were paid, on average, thirty percent less per hour than men for full time work, today the gender gap for hourly earnings is seventeen percent rising to thirty six for part time work.
So, why has progress been so slow and what changes, if any, need to be made to make equal pay a reality? Jane talks to Sarah Veal, Head of Equality and Employment Rights at the Trade Union Congress and Andrea Nicholls who is an Employment Lawyer and partner at Salans.
‘The Equal Pay Story: Scenes from a turbulent history’ a film by the TUC, will be previewed at the Curzon Soho Cinema on Wednesday 27th February 2008.
