Union slams gender pay inequality

New research by the PCS civil service union reveals that civil service pay depends on the gender balance within departments or grades, and that departments with more women fare significantly worse. 


Analysis by the union shows that comparable jobs in departments that employ a majority of men pay more than departments that employ a majority of women. 


The report divided departments and grades into majority male (<40% female) and majority male (>60% female) and the group of departments in between. 


Comparisons showed that a civil service executive officer in a majority male department is paid £3,771 (13%) more than an executive officer in a majority female department. 


A civil service admin officer in a majority male department is paid £2,675 (12.6%) more than an executive officer in a majority female department.


The PCS said the findings highlight how the civil service system of “delegated pay”, has led to a gender pay deficit between departments. 


In health and local government there are single pay systems covering millions of public sector workers. But in the civil service, for the last 20 years, pay determination has been delegated to government departments. 


The union says this has created an environment ripe for pay inequality, with hundreds of different pay systems paying different rates to employees doing the same or comparable jobs.


PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said delegated pay has institutionalised the gender pay gap for staff.

https://www.pcs.org.uk/news/civil-service-suffering-from-institutionalised-gender-pay-inequality-says-pcs