Moray’s gender pay gap is a ‘national scandal’

Moray’s gender pay gap is a “national scandal” according to the local authority’s equalities champion.

Figures before members of the economic development and infrastructure committee on Tuesday put the difference at 22.6%.

The Scottish average is 11.5%.

Equalities champion Juli Harris felt she had to mention the “extreme” difference during discussions on the community wealth building action plan.

Gender pay gap at 22.6%

Ms Harris said: “One of the key performance indicators for the strategy is addressing the gender pay gap.

“But we have a gender pay gap that is actually getting worse.

“We are the lowest paid female workforce in Scotland – one in five are earning less than the living wage.

“These statistics don’t encourage anybody from out with the area to consider coming and working here.

“It is a national scandal that we’re in such a poor state with a gender pay gap so high.

Ms Harris, who is councillor for Speyside Glenlivet, wanted a specific list of reasons behind the figures to be included in the document.

Senior officer for economic strategy and development Chris Muir welcomed the issue being brought up.

But he felt it was important to highlight that the gender pay gap is not a matter of equal pay.

Mr Muir said: “It is a pressing issue and it poses a huge challenge for the local economy.

‘National scandal’

“One of the key drivers for the gender pay gap locally is the propensity of women in low paid part-time work.

“Another big part of the issue facing working families is the lack of wrap-around school age childcare.

“Providing adequate childcare is absolutely key to getting parents back into meaningful full-time work.

“If we can address that issue I think we can go a long way to alleviate the issue we have with gender pay gap locally.”

Wrap-around childcare needed

Deputy chief executive Rhona Gunn told the meeting reducing the figure is a key objective underpinning the  Moray Growth Deal.

It is also a main point in the Moray economic strategy and the employability delivery plan.

Mrs Gunn said: “We have a number of strategic approaches that are designed to make inroads to that gender pay gap, and start to bring that differential down.”

Forres councillor Paul McBain noted female entrepreneurship in Moray is one of the highest in Scotland.

However Mr Muir suggested the lack of childcare provision could be forcing women into self employment.

Ms Harris’s comments come days after councillor for Fochabers Lhanbryde Shona Morrison raised “serious concerns over the gender pay gap within the council.

While the Scottish average for local authorities is 3.54% the difference between the local authority’s male and female employees stands at 6.95%.

And that figure is up from 6.16% on the previous 12 months.

‘Serious concerns’

It means Moray Council is ranked 30th out of 32 councils in terms of the gender pay gap.

The wealth building strategy aims to keep money within the council area to benefit communities.

Part of that is ensuring workers are in well paid jobs, and for public bodies to procure goods and services locally.

The plan will go out for consultation before coming back to committee in September.