Green's criticise EU's decision on mother's salaries
Green Party Women's Affairs Spokesperson, Cllr Bronwen Maher, has criticised yesterday's European Court of Justice decision that length of service can determine higher pay rates for certain workers, and that women can be paid less than men if they have taken time off to bring up their children.
"It sends a strong message to women," said Cllr Maher. "Put your family first and you will be put at a disadvantage in the workplace."
The decision follows an equal pay claim by a British worker who discovered her male colleagues on the same grade were paid a higher salary.
"This decision will have serious implications for women's status in the workplace and sends a message to employers that they now have an opportunity to create a two tier system whereby employees with similar qualifications can be paid less.
"This also has implications for men who may not take up their right to parental leave and miss out on valuable time with their children, and raises questions about how we value care work in the home and the contribution this makes to the good of society as a whole.
"The decision reinforces the male in the breadwinner role which has so discriminated against women in the past, whereby women were passed over for promotion due to their family commitments. The decision could also have a knock on effect on pension rights.
"The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament must now adjust our laws to rectify this loop-hole," concluded Cllr Maher.
