1 in 5 women underpaid

Almost one in five of the country’s biggest employers are breaking the law by paying women significantly lower wages than their male colleagues, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission.

A study by the commission of 870 employers, all of whom have carried out equal pay reviews, found that 16% of them are unlawfully paying females less than men to do the same or equivalent jobs.

The EOC’s report into the research states that the true proportion is likely to be much higher, as these organisations were among the more enlightened that have voluntarily carried out pay reviews.

As well as showing that 16% of women were paid less as a result fo their gender, the survey also revealed that women are routinely missing out on senior jobs, starting on lower salaries and taking longer to get promoted, largely because they are more likely to take career breaks to have children.

These new figures come as the government prepares to announce the full findings of its Women and Work Commission, which was charged by the prime minister with making recommendations on narrowing the gender pay gap. Tony Blair is expected to launch the report next month, however it remains to be seen whether the experts, who have taken 18 months to develop a plan to tackle unfair pay for women, will recommend compulsory pay reviews, as requested by many campaigners.

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