People
The Mayor of London makes first move towards gender equality in the workplace
By Harriet Hall
9 years ago
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has published City Hall’s first ever gender pay audit in a move to “break the glass ceiling” for women in the workplace.
Sadiq Khan, who promised he would be a “proud feminist in City Hall” in our Ask a Feminist London Mayor special, has shown he is sticking with his word, as he called for London businesses to help close the gender pay gap.
As reported by the Evening Standard, the audit published today reveals that women working full-time in City Hall are paid an average of £21.20 an hour, while their male counterparts are paid an average of £22.44, making a gap of 4.6% between the sexes. In London as a whole, the average pay gap for full-time employees stands at 12%.
Referencing his two teenage daughters, Khan says: “I want to do all I can to ensure women have the same opportunities as men in London so that their hard work and talent is fully and fairly recognised by employers.
“It is unacceptable that in London, one of the world’s greatest and most progressive cities, someone’s pay and career prospects can still be defined by their gender.
“I want City Hall to be a model employer, adopting the highest standards to support women in the workplace and I challenge both ourselves and others to take action to break the glass ceiling that still exists to limit their success.”
Plans are said to include more flexible working options and a focus on career progression.
He also launched a plan for full pay equality across the Greater London Authority, including TfL and the Met, which have been asked to produce their own audits, in a bid to help end the limitations placed upon professional women.
The Mayor has said that he is “determined to make the GLA a model employer that that removes any barriers to women by adopting the highest possible standards for fair pay, good working conditions and gender equality.”
But Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, told the newspaper that Khan’s promises are not enough – and that there needs to be more focus on childcare, asking:
“Where’s the City Hall creche and childcare support for City Hall employees and where is the investment right across London, where women are more likely than anywhere in the country to be living in poverty and doing low-paid jobs?”
Images: Rex Features, iStock
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