Council plan to tackle city's gender pay gap

PLYMOUTH City Council is looking at why women earn 21 per cent less than men in the city.

- ALISON STEPHENSON

As part of a plan to lift 3,000 people out of poverty, the council is inviting women’s organisations and female business leaders to meet to discuss economic inequality between men and women.

Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, St Peter and the Waterfront), cabinet member for housing, cooperative development and communities, said it is unacceptable that 80 per cent of women employed in Plymouth earn less than the national medium pay of £38,000 and £4 less per hour than men.

"If we are going to lift people out of poverty the biggest place we can make that difference is supporting women,” he told a cabinet meeting.