Labour tackling inequalities

One of the issues closest to my heart is equality and I’m proud that the Labour Party is continuing to do something about inequality. Labour has always stood up for equality which is one of the reasons why I’m in the party, more needed to be done and this will hopefully go some way towards addressing what needs to be done to end the many types of discrimination. It’s unbelievable that nearly 40 years after the equal pay act women are still paid less than men, having campaigned on this issue and organised a ‘no pay day’ event for Fawcett Society in Leeds I’m delighted that measures are being taken to make the difference in men and women’s pay more transparent.

The bill has two main purposes, to bring together current discrimination law and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality.

I have trawled through the bill and am happy that this is a leap forward in terms of equality and takes on many forms of discrimination. Once implemented it will be another good step forward for people in Elmet and Rothwell.

If you want to read the bill you can do so here.

Harriet Harmen’s sent Labour Party members an email with a summary of the main points:

• introduce a groundbreaking new law to help narrow the gap between rich and poor
• shine a light on the hidden pay unfairness against women at work
• end the last lawful discrimination which is against older people
• allow employers – if they want to – to make their workforce more diverse by choosing for example a woman or black person who was equally suitable for the job
• require public authorities – like councils – to use their purchasing power to drive equality when buying goods and services from the private sector