Take up the Bil for Equal Pay!

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By Gerry WHEN the government half-heartedly introduced its own amendments to the Equal Pay Act, they were described by one Tory MP as:

"Bastard regulations, born of une Equal Opportunities Commission and sired by the European Court of Justice. It may be the other way round, depending on which of those two organisations is the more butch."

If there were a prize (the golden vomit-bowl?) going for the most concentrated expression of sexual bigotry, this comment would probably be a front-runner, combining as it does hostility to women's rights, lesbians and single parents and their children in one neat metaphor.

Yes, you may say, but this is just the ignorant prejudice of one neanderthal Tory (with apologies to the neanderthals who probably had far more progressive views than that!). Doesn't it just underline how far equality legislation has now become accepted that this far from progressive government is itself concerned to close the notorious loopholes in the Equal Pay act?

Well hardly! The government only introduced these changes under pressure from the Europear Court and then withdrew them after opposition from the Lords.

Not sufficient And they were hardly far-reaching changes in the first place; they may not have even heen sufficient to bring us in line with European regulations. Certainly, they would not have gone very far in tackling the widespread discrimination and prejudice that present legislation cannot touch.

For that, a much more comprehensive and integrated New issue of for 15p plus 10:16 os 2383 % approacn is needed. We can't expect that to come from this government. Huwever, we do now have a chance of organising for such a policy. Jo Richardson, Labour spokesperson on Women's Rights, has drawn • a Private Member's Bill which seeks to fill the loopholes in existing laws and widen their scope.

The Equal Pay Act, for example, made only a small dent in the differential between men's and women's earnings because it didn't deal with sexual segregation at work. When women are ghettoised into low-paid sectors where there aren't men doing comparable work, the Equal Pay Act duesn't apply.

The most exploited and underpaid section uf the workforce, part-time and homeworkers, have no recourse to it since the Act only allows for comparisons to be made where jobs are identicato Jo Richardson's Sex Equality Bill proposes i bring these areas into line, by enabling comparisons to be made between part-time and full-time work of equal value.

At present, there is no protection au all for gay and lesbian workers from dismissal or discrimination. Must cases of uníuir dismissal brought to tribunals by homesexual men and lesbians have upheld the CND diary :to.

M7-x56 i wile-pve Gay YS 53.outh training candal Socialist Squaddies? employer's right to discriminate. The Sex Equality Bill will make this unlawful.

One of the sickening ironies of previors (Labour) governmentsponsored anti-discrimination legislation is that it didn't apply to those areas the government is most responsible for, taxation, pensions and benefits. The new Bill proposes that discrimination in these areas be outlawed too.

Expectation

Although the Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts didn't deliver much in the event, the expectations they raised in the minds of working women laid the basis for a whole series of independent women's struggles round pay and job opportunities. Vie should use this Bill to similarly raise women's awareness that discrimination and unequal tr atment are still rife and make this the start of a campaign to eliminate them.

For December 9, if your MP can be expected to be sympathetic, write/lobby and press her/him to be there to vote for the Bill. Campaigners are advising that if you expect a negative response from her/him then don't bother to remind them to turn up and vote it down! CRUISE ful ed by the Greenham women. questioned.

62% of women.

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