Hull North Labour MP Diana Johnson voted in the Commons today (16 December) to introduce pay transparency across large companies.
The measure, put forward by Labour, will require companies employing over 250 staff to publish their own gender pay gap in their annual report.
Labour MPs were joined in Parliament by Gwen Davis, Sheila Douglass, Vera Sime and Eileen Pullen four of the original 1968 Dagenham women who went on strike at Ford's for equal pay leading to the Equal Pay Act of 1970, as well as the stars of the hit musical 'Made in Dagenham' Gemma Arterton and Isla Blair.
But despite Labour voting for the motion, Lib Dem and Conservative MPs failed to vote in favour and their Coalition Government indicated that it did not intend to make pay transparency law.
Shockingly women still earn an average 81p for every pound earned by men, despite the Equal Pay Act being passed 44 years ago. To coincide with the vote Labour is releasing new analysis of official figures which show that because of the gender pay gap, women earn an average £209,976 less over their lifetime than men.
The campaign for pay transparency is being led by Labour in Parliament, and supported by Grazia magazine and employers including PricewaterhouseCoopers and Genesis Housing, who are amongst just five companies known to voluntarily publish their pay gap.
Hull North MP Diana Johnson said: "Women and their families across Hull will be wondering why the Tories and Lib Dems failed to back equal pay for millions of women across Britain.
"Women in Hull shouldn't have to wait another generation for equal pay. Pay transparency will shine a light on the problem and help employers to close the pay gap once and for all. This Government might not be prepared to act on transparency and equal pay, but a Labour Government will."
