After 30 years of equal pay legislation — men are still paid more

MEN are still paid 15% more than their female work colleagues — and the gap has only marginally narrowed in the last four years - according to a report.

A Government-appointed expert group found that while two thirds of the pay gap can be explained by work experience, age and qualification differences, the remaining one third cannot be justified.

“After almost 30 years of equal pay and equal opportunities legislation in Ireland, there remains a gap of 15% between the average hourly wage of men and women,” said the report.

“Recent analysis by the ESRI indicates a small narrowing of the gap between 1997 and 2000 of 0.3% (from 15% to 14.7%).”

The report, published yesterday by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, said the continuing gap was despite the fact that this period saw the introduction of the national minimum wage and an “exceptionally buoyant” labour market.

Between 1997 and 2000 the percentage of women working in the labour market increased from 49.8% to 55.7%, it said.

The report of the Consultative Group on Male/Female Wage Differentials said that women’s absence from employment due to caring responsibilities was the single biggest reason for the pay gap.

“The research states that for a typical man, the arrival of children has little impact on his labour market participation; but a woman with identical qualifications and experience would typically have nine years less market experience by age 47,” said the report.

“Consequently male and female wages cannot be brought closely in line with each other without an increase in labour market attachment. One method of achieving this is through flexible working arrangements.

“Policies such as parental leave schemes, maternity leave and childcare provision, under the employment strategy to ‘reconcile family and working life’, are likely to be important in reducing this gap.”

The report said the pay gap was much wider among part-time than full-time employees, adding that women accounted for a far greater percentage of part-time workers.

It said the gap was narrowest in professional occupations but widest in both high and low status occupations.

“Among managers and senior officials the gap is 30%, and in sales and service occupations and elementary occupations the gaps are 35% and 25.8% respectively.”

The report noted the absence of well-developed provisions for new fathers and recommended there should be three days paid paternity leave for fathers for each child.