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The Good, the Not So Good and the Ugly: Gender Equality, Equal Pay and Austerity in English Local Government

Author

Listed:
  • Hazel Conley

    (University of the West of England, UK)

  • Margaret Page

    (University of the West of England, UK)

Abstract

Drawing on theories of responsive and reflexive legislation and gender mainstreaming, this article examines the implementation of the gender equality duty and the Single Status Agreement in five English local authorities between 2008 and 2010. Both of these initiatives coincided with the global financial crisis. The data highlights how organizational restructuring following budget cuts resulted in the separation of these two important initiatives between equality and human resource management teams, preventing the duty from reaching the high expectations of the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Women and Work Commission. The reliance on equal pay legislation and the failure to use the gender equality duty missed an opportunity to move away from adversarial forms of legislation and towards more responsive forms of regulation of pay equality.

Suggested Citation

  • Hazel Conley & Margaret Page, 2018. "The Good, the Not So Good and the Ugly: Gender Equality, Equal Pay and Austerity in English Local Government," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 32(4), pages 789-805, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:32:y:2018:i:4:p:789-805
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017018768207
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicolas Bacon & Kim Hoque, 2012. "The Role and Impact of Trade Union Equality Representatives in Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(2), pages 239-262, June.
    2. Simon Deakin & Sarah Fraser Butlin & Colm McLaughlin & Aleksandra Polanska, 2015. "Are litigation and collective bargaining complements or substitutes for achieving gender equality? A study of the British Equal Pay Act," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 39(2), pages 381-403.
    3. Sian Moore & Tessa Wright, 2012. "Shifting models of equality? Union Equality Reps in the public services," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(5), pages 433-447, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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