Shropshire Council urged to mind the pay gap with an equalities champion

Councillor Andy Boddington said the role is needed to drive a reduction in the gender pay gap across the council.

Employers with 250 or more employees are required each year to publish their figures comparing men and women’s average pay across the organisation.

The data revealed that the average pay gap in Shropshire Council in 2018/19 is 18.2 per cent.

Councillor Boddington said: “Shropshire Council has the 12th largest gender pay gap of the 287 councils in England that have reported so far this year. That’s the same ranking as last year. It is a dismal position to be in.”

More than 83 per cent of the lowest paying jobs are occupied by women.

However, it also showed that 63.7 per cent of employees in the top paying roles are women.

Cabinet

Councilor Boddington said the inequality is also reflected in Shropshire Council’s cabinet which is predominately made up of men.

“Council leader Peter Nutting re-shuffled his cabinet last week,” he said. “There is only one woman among 16 portfolio holders and deputy portfolio holders.

“The solitary woman among the 16-strong leadership team at Shropshire Council is Lezley Picton who holds the portfolio for culture, leisure, waste and communications. Men hold the power base in the cabinet.”

Last year the gender pay gap was 20 per cent and the council said it is not the result of failing to pay men and women equally. It said there are more women in lower paid jobs than men.

“That’s an attitude I thought we had left behind in the 1990s,” Councillor Boddington added.

“The council has not assessed why it employs more women in low paid jobs than men.

“The council now has a climate change champion at cabinet level. It is time that it appointed an equalities champion as well.”