Ireland has today joined the Equal Pay International Coalition; a “multilateral partnership working to reduce the gender pay gap at global, regional and national levels,” according to Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment Alan Dillon.
The minister made the announcement on the sidelines of the G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting, taking place in South Africa, saying that it marks a “significant step forward” in our “commitment, as a nation, in ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender, receive equal pay for work of equal value”.
The ‘Gender Pay Gap’ refers to the difference in average gross hourly earnings between men and women, and is usually arrived at by adding up the wages of all male employees at an organisation, and those of all the women, and comparing them in their totality.
However, critics argue that the gender pay gap is simply the difference in the average wage of all men and women across a workforce, and does not compare those in similar jobs or those with similar competencies or experience levels.
As a result, it’s held by critics that the metric does not indicate discrimination or an absence of “equal pay for work of equal value”.
The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is described as a “global initiative that brings together governments, employer and worker organisations, academia, civil society and private sector entities to tackle the gender pay gap through coordinated action”.
“It operates at global, regional and national levels, making it the only coalition of its kind to focus on equal pay,” a spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment said.
The Coalition is made up of 67 members, including government entities from 28 countries; international and national organisations; academia; civil society organisations; as well as the private sector.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is a member of the Coalition.