Its a Rip Off - Women's Pay
grayee Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 11:26:45 PM GMT 
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Yesterday Fawcett and UNISON declared was “Women’s No Pay Day”. The pay gap between men and women is such that compared to men, women work free from October 30th to the end of the year. Part time women earn on average 40% less than men.
Let me illustrate this point. My misses has just completed a two year full time diploma to become a teaching assistant. On Monday she started her first TA job at a local primary school. She is really enjoying the work and it seems a smashing school. Most of her time will be spent with kids who have special needs.
Let me illustrate this point. My misses has just completed a two year full time diploma to become a teaching assistant. On Monday she started her first TA job at a local primary school. She is really enjoying the work and it seems a smashing school. Most of her time will be spent with kids who have special needs.
However, her pay is only £7.41 per hour (remember this is London) and “term time” only. Less than £10,000 pa? Her school is quite large however; there are no other male TAs (and only 1 male teacher in total).
Has her pay anything to do with this ratio? Surely not!
I remember last year dragging her along to a London Labour Party National Policy forum. Tony Blair was speaking and the organisers wanted local people who worked in front line public services to attend. I promised her that she would not have to speak nor that we would sit in the front of any meeting (as is my usual trick).
She is an outwardly reserved soul who I suppose has enough on her plate being married to me. Anyway, at the forum, we were lead into a focus group meeting. Cabinet ministers Patricia Hewitt, Alan Johnson and various local MPs (Lyn Brown) came in and Patricia immediately made a beeline to my better half. Once Patricia found out she was training to be a TA, she was obviously really pleased to find a “real” person.
Everyone is very proud of the Labour government record in pouring money into schools and education. However, when my misses talked to the ministers about the prospect of low pay that she faced when she qualified, everyone went a little quiet. One person present even said “we pay our office cleaners more (damn right - they also deserve more) and they don’t have to undergo 2 years training”. There were vague promises of future reviews about pay and uncomfortable gestures.
I refuse to believe that a male dominated sector or industry would accept such low pay and conditions. Until this issue is adequately addressed we will never have true equality.
Of course at the end of the event we were led into the main hall, and were placed in reserved seats right in front of TB making his speech and his Q&A. Strangely enough she won’t go to any more meetings with me.
Thinking about it, with regard to institutional sexism are we really that much more superior to the Saudi’s? (Yes but no but)
Has her pay anything to do with this ratio? Surely not!
I remember last year dragging her along to a London Labour Party National Policy forum. Tony Blair was speaking and the organisers wanted local people who worked in front line public services to attend. I promised her that she would not have to speak nor that we would sit in the front of any meeting (as is my usual trick).
She is an outwardly reserved soul who I suppose has enough on her plate being married to me. Anyway, at the forum, we were lead into a focus group meeting. Cabinet ministers Patricia Hewitt, Alan Johnson and various local MPs (Lyn Brown) came in and Patricia immediately made a beeline to my better half. Once Patricia found out she was training to be a TA, she was obviously really pleased to find a “real” person.
Everyone is very proud of the Labour government record in pouring money into schools and education. However, when my misses talked to the ministers about the prospect of low pay that she faced when she qualified, everyone went a little quiet. One person present even said “we pay our office cleaners more (damn right - they also deserve more) and they don’t have to undergo 2 years training”. There were vague promises of future reviews about pay and uncomfortable gestures.
I refuse to believe that a male dominated sector or industry would accept such low pay and conditions. Until this issue is adequately addressed we will never have true equality.
Of course at the end of the event we were led into the main hall, and were placed in reserved seats right in front of TB making his speech and his Q&A. Strangely enough she won’t go to any more meetings with me.
Thinking about it, with regard to institutional sexism are we really that much more superior to the Saudi’s? (Yes but no but)
Its a Rip Off - Women's Pay | 2 comments (2 topical)
Its a Rip Off - Women's Pay | 2 comments (2 topical)
