Towards Single Equality legislation

The Government has a 2005 manifesto commitment to introduce a Single Equality Act. This consultation is a step towards that legislation, which will underpin the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) which will be established from October this year.

Current equality law is set out in nine Acts, four European Directives and a number of other regulations, orders and codes of guidance - and so it is hoped that a new Act would simplify, and many hope strengthen, existing legislation.

A number of campaigning organisations and trade unions have been campaigning for the Government to propose measures to close the gender pay gap. Currently women in full-time work earn 20% less than men, and this rises to 40% for part-time work.

Dr Katherine Rake, the Director of the Fawcett Society said, "At the current rate of change, it's going to take 140 years until women are paid equally - and the Government has missed a huge opportunity to speed that up. This is tinkering at the edges".

Like the Fawcett Society many trade unions, such as Amicus, support the introduction of mandatory pay audits and the right to bring class actions on behalf of groups of employees, as does public sector union Unison.

The Fawcett Society has set out its detailed proposals 'Gender Equality in the 21st Century' which provides detailed material of use to anyone responding to the consultation. There is also detailed information about the gender pay gap on the website of the Institute of Employment Rights.

One proposal that has been welcomed is the right for mothers to breastfeed in public. However, the National Childbirth Trust is keen that this is not limited to infants under one year old, as is proposed in the consultation.

There is currently no legal protection against age discrimination in the supply of goods, facilities and services, premises, education in schools, and other public functions. The law on this was recently changed so that it is now illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, as well as gender, race and disability.

The anti-ageist proposals have been welcomed by Help the Aged, which has produced a useful guide setting out the changes on age discrimination.

Several trade unions and equality organisations are also calling for a strengthening in the powers of Employment Tribunals. Liz Sayce, Chief Executive of disability charity RADAR said, "Employment Tribunals can order compensation - but not re-instatement to the job, or changes in policies - the employment provisions are only half-powers"

The consultation document can be downloaded from the Department for Communities and Local Government website and the deadline for responses is Tuesday 4th September 2007.