WIREDGOV

Responding to yesterday’s publication of reports on the gender pay gap in the civil service, 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% 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.

“The FDA stands ready to work with departments to close the pay gap, and we will continue to fight for equality at work. We are also clear that the drive for equality goes beyond the gender pay gap, and believe the civil service should lead the way by revealing pay gap data for its BAME and disabled staff.”

Notes for editors

1. The FDA is the trade union for the UK's senior public servants and professionals at grade HEO and above. FDA membership includes more than 18,000 senior civil servants, diplomats, Government policy advisors, prosecutors, tax professionals, economists, solicitors and other professionals working across Government and the NHS.
2. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants' union".
3. The FDA can be found on Twitter @FDA_union and at www.fda.org.uk. General Secretary Dave Penman tweets as @FDAGenSec.
4. For further information contact:

• Matt Foster, Communications Officer, tel: 07982 514 524.
• Tommy Newell, Communications Officer, tel: 020 7401 5555 or 07738 729 145.