Scottish women effectively now working for free
More must be done to address gender inequality in the workplace, the Scottish Greens have warned, as we reach the point where many women in Scotland begin effectively working for free for the rest of the year.
A TUC report published this year shows that women in Scotland work for 52 days of the year because of the 14.3% gender pay gap.
The gender pay gap for all employees across the UK is 17.3%.
Commenting, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: “Despite the fact Scotland is marginally ahead of England and Wales, our economy is stacked against working women. It’s a sobering thought that many women earn two months’ worth less in wages.
“If we’re going to build a recovery that values women’s work, we need to reflect that in the pay in jobs traditionally done by women. Many of these are also the jobs on the front line of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, like nursing, social care and education.
“The economic impact of this pandemic has been harder on women, and that needs to be reflected in what happens next. That’s why I was particularly disappointed that the Scottish Government’s Advisory Group on Economic Recovery did not even mention fair work for women. This needs to change.”