Union demands mandatory pay audits to tackle gender discrimination

Major employers ought to be legally mandated to evaluate their internal pay structures every three years to ensure female staff receive equal treatment, a trade union has urged.

Unison stated that findings from its research indicate the existing equal pay framework is no longer fit for purpose. It argued the system depends excessively on employees undertaking lengthy, complicated legal proceedings against organisations suspected of breaching legislation.

To stop unwarranted disparities emerging, companies should be compelled to assess wage systems on a routine basis and resolve unfair pay gaps, according to the union.

Unison highlighted that local authorities, NHS bodies and education providers have paid out substantial back-pay settlements to low-paid female employees in recent years—claims that could have been avoided if employers had conducted timely reviews of their pay setups.

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said: "Women shouldn’t be spending years fighting through the courts for money they were due long ago.

"It’s time to end this injustice.

"Equal pay laws have existed for more than half a century, yet major cases involving councils and other public bodies show the system still isn’t working as it should.

"Employers should be identifying and fixing problems before workers are forced to take legal action.

"Regular compulsory audits would expose unjustified differences and help stop discrimination becoming embedded in pay structures."

Professor Catherine Barnard of the University of Cambridge, who helped with the research, said: "The current system of pay, dating back to 1970, fails to deliver for many women.

"They’re currently dependent on expensive and stressful litigation, often funded by unions, to get equal pay.

"Our report proposes a proactive approach requiring employers to consider their pay scales on a regular basis.