Dear Members,                            20 July 2010

Equality Act – Equal Pay for Women

The Equality Bill was passed in April 2010 and at our recent AGM, members raised serious concerns that the section on equal pay for women has been removed from the final wording of the Equality Act 2010 which comes into effect this coming October.

BFWG has expressed our concerns in letters to Theresa May, Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality and to Lynne Featherstone, Under-Secretary of State (Equalities).
Click here for a copy of the letter.

However, it is essential that we monitor the Act and its impact particularly as there is some scope for Ministers to amend the legislation to comply with European law without the need for primary legislation.  Would members let the Office know if they are interested in keeping a ‘watching brief’ on this important legislation?  Follow-up action may be called for later in the year!

There is plenty of information about the Act on the Internet but the following sites are particularly helpful:

www.parliament.uk
http://services.parliament.uk/bills
www.opsi.gov.uk
www.un.org (has links to CEDAW)

Click here for a copy of a letter about the retention of the WNC

Click here for a copy of a letter about University Research Funding

Anna Frost
Vice President