Positive Discrimination - Harman Defends Plan

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Topic started by M Mouse (cephid)

Having written a 200-page thesis, I couldn't believe writing 75 words could be so tough! Mature in body, though not in mind. Passionate, intelligent and sensitive, still wants to explore and live life. Interests include DIY, overseas travel, IT, music (early 80's and indie).

A topic from News & Current Affairs: Political

cephidThu 26/06/08 10:08

Equality Minister Harriet Harman today defended a new controversial Equalities Bill which intends to encourage firms to discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minorities when there is no other factor influencing a choice between two or more candidates. The law will also force employers to disclose pay structures in a bid to make the pay gap between men and women more transparent.

In the report: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=193149&in_page_id=34
she says, commenting upon male/felmals salary disparities:

"Yet listen to this figure - if you are a woman working part-time you get 40% less per hour on average than a man working full-time..."

"Now either this is because women are not up to the job or else there is discrimination against them. You can't challenge discrimination when it's kept swept under the carpet.

Well, the current national minimum wage structure is: http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/pay/national-minimum-wage/index.html

Workers aged 22 and over - £5.52 per hour
Workers aged 18-21 - £4.60 per hour
Workers aged 16-17 - £3.40 per hour

If a 16-year old is capable of carrying out the same work as a 17+ year old and obeying all legal obligations, isn't this tantamount to age discrimination? If it is, then there is a potential for it to be sex discrimination too since a 22 year old female would be paid more than a below 22 year old male (and vice versa and the same applies to the mid range with respect to the lowest range). How can this be justified?

The government is setting an ideal which will be difficult to implement in practice. I often see job advertisments where the position is ideal for the first career move, ideal for a graduate, offers place of a graduate scheme: these are in blatant defiance of current law but still prevalent.

However, it is the twisted logic, as the minimul wage so readily highlights, which makesit difficult for me to believe that the law will bring about equity across the board.

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