Making Streatham stronger, fairer and more equal
Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, has strongly welcomed the Equality Bill but, along with local older peoples groups, has called on the government to go further.
The Equality Bill received its First Reading in the House of Commons on Monday. It sets out new laws which will help narrow the gap between rich and poor, require business to report on gender pay and will outlaw age discrimination in services amongst other measures. The Bill is expected to come in to force from autumn 2010.
Despite considerable progress since 1997, inequality and discrimination still exist which is why the law needs to be strengthened:
* women are paid on average 23 per cent less per hour than men;
* disabled people are twice as likely to be out of work;
* people from ethnic minority backgrounds, who make up more than 1 in 3 of the population in Lambeth, are nearly a fifth less likely to find work; and,
* 1 in 5 older people are refused quotes for motor or travel insurance, or car hire.
Commenting on the Bill, Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham and a specialist employment law solicitor by profession, said:
“I believe in equality for all and have supported the government’s moves to stamp out discrimination wherever it may appear because, as a solicitor who represents hardworking people, I know what a difference it makes to people’s working lives.
“This Bill is about fairness. It is about everyone in our community getting fair treatment. So in Streatham it might mean making sure there are extra benches in local parks so older people can enjoy public spaces or providing play areas for younger people so they can make the most of them too.”
“It is a scandal that women are still paid less than men in this country, so I am particularly pleased the Bill will contain the power to require employers with more than 250 employees to report on the gender pay gap in their work place so inequalities can be identified and challenged.”
One of the provisions of the Equality Bill will make it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their age outside of the work place, when providing goods and services. For example, a 75 year who enquires about travel insurance should get a quote which accurately reflects the level of risk she faces, not an arbitrary assumption about how healthy people of her age generally are.
However, in the work place, the Bill does not abolish the statutory default retirement age of 65 which enables employers to force employees to retire at or after 65, or refuse to recruit anyone over the age of 65. Umunna and local older peoples activists have called on the government to address this. Umunna said
“The extension of the existing regime to outlaw age discrimination out of the work place in the provisions of good and services is excellent. But, as the Bill makes its passage through parliament, I want to see it abolish the default retirement age in the work place so older people can work past the age of 65 if they want to.”
Ellen Lebethe, Chair of Lambeth Pensioners Action Group, said:
“If we want to and are still fit and able, we should be allowed to work. Our experience should be acknowledged by employers and remunerated accordingly.”
Martin Walsh, a founder member and former Chair of Lambeth Pensioners Forum, said:
“The government must encourage people to work on for their health and well being as work promotes longevity.”
Other measures in the Equality Bill include:
· putting a new duty on public bodies to consider how to reduce socio-economic inequalities;
· putting a new Equality Duty on public bodies;
· using public procurement to improve equality;
· extending powers to use positive action;
· protecting carers from discrimination;
· protecting pregnant and new mothers;
· banning discrimination in private clubs; and
· strengthening protection from discrimination for disabled people.
Harriet Harman, Member of Parliament for nearby Camberwell and Peckham and the Minister for Women and Equality responsible for the Bill said:
“The Equality Bill is part of building a strong fair future for Britain out of the downturn. That means fairness and opportunity. Especially in tougher economic times, we need to face the problems fairly and we need to look for a fairer future.”
