Business

Mid-Ulster tops league of shame for paying part-time females

The bustling town of Cookstown in Mid-Ulster, where low pay is a major concern
The bustling town of Cookstown in Mid-Ulster, where low pay is a major concern The bustling town of Cookstown in Mid-Ulster, where low pay is a major concern

THREE-quarters of all part-time women workers in Mid-Ulster earn less than the living wage, making it one of the UK's biggest blackspots for low pay, shock new figures show.

Analysis published by the TUC to mark 'part-time equal pay day' shows that 74.2 per cent of female workers in the area - which takes in the key towns of Cookstown, Magherafelt and Coalisland - currently earn less than £7.85 an hour.

And that places Mid-Ulster - where Sinn Fein's Francie Molloy is the sitting MP - third-bottom of a league of shame of more than 130 parliamentary constituencies, only just ahead of the Welsh constituency of Dwyfor Meirionnydd (79.0 per cent) and Birmingham Northfield (76.8 per cent).

The TUC is concerned that, despite three years of stronger economic growth, many working women still remain trapped in in-work poverty.

And even though the Chancellor has introduced a minimum wage premium for over 25s, the union says it would like to see more employers paying the so-called living wage, which would help tackle the growing scourge of in-work poverty and make inroads into closing the 33 per cent part-time pay penalty.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Working part-time shouldn’t mean poverty pay, but for millions of women that is the reality.

“The living wage was created to provide workers with a basic standard of living. However, many part-time women earn well below this each 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."

She added: “Our labour market is failing to deliver for women across the UK. 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 everyone.”

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 £20,000 (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, the TUC added.