Huge gender pay gaps across Whitehall were exposed for the first time today, with the Department for Transport and Brexit Department the worst offenders.
At Transport, men earn on average 16.9 per cent more than women while at the Department for Exiting the European Union the figure is 15.3 per cent.
The Cabinet Office – which includes staff at 10 Downing Street – the pay gap between men and women is 10 per cent.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport was the best performing in Whitehall, with a pay gap of 3.3 per cent.
Huge gender pay gaps across Whitehall were exposed for the first time today, with the Department for Transport and Brexit Department the worst offenders
Departments have been forced to publish the data under transparency rules introduced by Theresa May
Across the whole Civil Service the pay gap is 11 per cent, today’s data reveals.
Departments have been forced to publish the data under transparency rules introduced by Theresa May.
The light shone on Whitehall departments comes after other public institutions, including the BBC, and all firms with more than 250 staff were ordered to publish.
Zohra Francis, Equality Officer at the FDA union for senior public servants, said: ‘It cannot be right that, in 2017, women are still being discriminated against and undervalued, in some departments earning almost 17 per cent less than their male colleagues. It should be abundantly clear at all levels of government that such flaws in the pay system can only be addressed by a fully-funded pay rise.
‘While the civil service should be applauded for shining a light on its gender pay gap with this latest data, departments have a long way to go if they are serious about closing it.
‘We know that women in the public sector are hit twice as hard – by both the gender pay gap and the ongoing squeeze on public sector pay, which makes resolving the issue even harder.
‘A fully-funded pay rise would help to tackle many of the inconsistencies and unfairness that have developed over the years.’
Jeremy Heywood, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, said: ‘Building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the people we serve is one of my top priorities as Head of the Civil Service.
‘Today’s gender pay gap publication is in line with the Government’s new, world-leading gender pay reporting legislation that will help to make workplaces across the UK fairer.
‘I am pleased to say that the overall Civil Service gender pay gap is narrowing, although it is still a matter of concern.
‘As set out in the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy launched earlier this year, I am committed to improving the gender balance at all grades and across all departments, agencies, functions and professions.’
Sir Jeremy Heywood, the head of the civil service, said the data would help to close a ‘concerning’ pay gap
Nationwide, the average pay gap for full time workers is 14.1 per cent – meaning after November 10 this year, women effectively worked for free.
Speaking in October, Mrs May said it was encouraging the gender pay gap had fallen overall but said more action was needed.
Mrs May said: ‘It is encouraging news that the gap has fallen this year for full-time workers.
‘But the gender pay gap isn’t going to close on its own – we all need to be taking sustained action to make sure we address this.
‘We need to see a real step change in the number of companies publishing their gender pay data and offering progression and flexibility for all employees.
‘That’s why today I am calling on more businesses, both small and large, to take action to make sure the gender pay gap is eliminated once and for all.’