Member Article

TUC reveals damning statistics for women working in Hartlepool

New research from the Trade Union Centre (TUC) has revealed that two thirds of women working part-time in Hartlepool earn less than the Living Wage, the highest proportion in the North East.

Across the region, over two in five part-time women’s jobs pay less than the Living Wage. Yet TUC analysis of official figures shows that earning less than the Living Wage is the norm for women part-time workers in 12 of the North East’s Parliamentary constituencies.

Middlesbrough, South East Cleveland (63.2%) and Newcastle North (60.2%) are the next worst affected areas in the region, where over six in ten women working part-time earn less than the Living Wage, which is currently £7.85 an hour.

Newcastle Upon Tyne East Tyneside has the lowest proportion of women working part-time for less than the Living Wage but even here it is more than one in four (28%).

With women accounting for almost three-quarters of Britain’s six-million strong part-time workforce, the lack of skilled, decently-paid, part-time jobs affects women’s pay and their career prospects far more than it does men, reports the TUC.

Moreover, the TUC is concerned that despite three years of stronger economic growth, many working women still remain trapped in in-work poverty. Furthermore, the union comments that even though the Chancellor has introduced a minimum wage premium for over 25’s it is still well below the Living Wage and will be undermined by his new cuts to tax credits.

Yesterday (Wednesday 2 September, two-thirds of the way through 2015) was effectively the last day this year that women working part-time get paid. This is because women earn just 67p for every pound earned by men working full-time (which is a pay gap of 33%). One of the main reasons for the gender pay divide is the large concentration of women doing low-paid, part-time work, says the TUC.

The TUC also wants to see more well-paid jobs across all sectors and grades advertised on a part-time basis. Recent analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Timewise Foundation found that for every one part-time job vacancy advertised at £20k (pro-rata) there were 18 full-time vacancies at this level. Too often women have to take a pay cut and a job beneath their skill, qualifications and experience level in order to be able to work part-time once they have children.

Beth Farhat, TUC Regional Secretary, said: “Working part-time shouldn’t mean poverty pay, but for lots of women in the North East that is the reality.

“The Living Wage was created to provide workers with a basic standard of living. However, many part-time women in our region earn well below £7.85 an hour and now face being hit by the Chancellor’s cuts to tax credits which will wipe out any gains from his new minimum wage premium.

“Our labour market is failing to deliver for many women. Those looking to work part-time or on a flexible basis are too often restricted to low-level and low-paid positions that do not make the most of their skills. Lots are forced to trade down when they start a family.

“If we don’t create better opportunities and increase wages for part-time staff then women will continue to bear the brunt of in-work poverty. We need a recovery that works for the many not just the few.”