Frances O’Grady speech to the TUC Women's Conference 2014

Frances O'Grady's speech to the TUC Women's conference 12 - 14 March 2014, at Congress House, London.

TUC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE, 12 MARCH 2014

Vicky, Gloria, Lyndsay, sisters, comrades.

It’s great to be here today to take part in what I’m sure will be a really lively debate.

With a record number of women now in work, we’re absolutely right to talk about what kind of jobs women are doing.

Research we’re publishing today shows that the best-paid occupations are dominated by men – and often no-go zones for part-time workers – underlining the devastating occupational segregation that continues to scar our labour market.

The upshot is we are simply not being fairly rewarded for the work we do.

Almost a third of us are in low-paid work, nearly double the proportion of men.

Four in ten part-time women earn less than the living wage.

And the gender pay gap costs full-time women over £5,000 a year.

What all of this means is a crushing assault on our living standards, quality of life and aspirations.

With the cost of living rocketing up, the welfare state under attack and childcare costs spiralling out of control, these are profoundly tough times.

Just last week the Family and Childcare Trust reported that the cost of part-time childcare plus an after school club now costs more than the average mortgage – highlighting how far low pay has to stretch.

But none of this adequately conveys the daily realities facing women struggling against the odds to provide for themselves and their families.

Take the story I heard from one of our teaching unions.

It was about a woman whose kid came into school in old clothes, looking dirty.

After this went on for a while, the young boy eventually went absent for several days.

When he did return, it transpired that he only had one pair of trousers.

His mother had washed them, but could not get them dry as she could not afford to turn the heating on.

Conference, what a terrible indictment of Cameron’s Britain.

But then again, what do you expect from the Tories?

Apparently their definition of relative poverty is having to live on 60 per cent of George Osborne’s median earnings.

Sadly, stories like these are commonplace.

We know about women having no choice but to steal nappies, and shopworkers turning a blind eye.

About the growing number of women care workers on zero hours contracts, and not being paid between appointments.

And about women working for large companies who haven’t had a pay rise for almost a decade.

These are scandals that shame modern Britain.

All of this underlines the need for a strong response – going far beyond the see-nothing, do-nothing, change-nothing approach of the coalition.

First, we need to boost women’s incomes.

That means mandatory equal pay audits. Affordable childcare. And measures to promote flexible and part-time working at all levels.

Second, we need action to tackle the low pay epidemic that disproportionately hits women.

A much higher minimum wage. A living wage. And higher pay in the sectors that can afford it, administered through modern wages councils.

Third, we need more collective bargaining and stronger unions winning for women.

From Ford in Dagenham to Cammell-Laird in Birkenhead, history has consistently shown that the best way for women to secure pay justice is through organisation and collective action.

I’ll finish by saying this.

Ultimately the best way for us to win fair pay isn’t by encouraging employers to do the right thing, or pressing the government for policy change, important though they are.

No, it’s only by getting out there, getting organised and standing together in solidarity that we will make a difference to those millions of ordinary women who desperately need better wages.

With Fair Pay Fortnight just around the corner, let’s make it happen.

Thanks for listening.