A new Code of Practice on Equal Pay aimed at employers was launched on 1st December 2003. It takes account of the changes to equal pay law introduced last year together with recent legal rulings.

The Code gives practical guidance and is admissible during proceedings under the Equal Pay Act 1970 or the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

Although the Code is primarily for use by employers it is still useful for trade unionists and advisors. See the EOC website for further information and to download Code: www.eoc.org.uk.

The EOC has also launched a new equal pay campaign - It's time to get even - and have produced a range of resources, including posters and beer mats, to provoke debate and raise the issue of equal pay.

Further details of the campaign available from eoc website or email equalpay@eoc.org.uk.

Gender Pay Gap - Ireland

Recent figures for average industrial hourly earnings in Ireland reveal a significant gender pay gap at national level with female average hourly earnings 28.4 per cent below male earnings in June 2002.

This means that over an average working life, a woman can lose income estimated at around €53,000. The gender gap increases by one to two per cent when pensions and other occupational benefits are included.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has produced a pack for negotiators including advice on gender pay audits, job evaluations free of bias and gender proofing of existing agreements.

Close the Gap Campaign - Scotland

This is a partnership project which covers the whole of Scotland. The partners have secured 3 years of European funding to run an Equal Pay project which will encourage employers to carry out pay audits, enable unions to make equal pay a priority and empower women to challenge pay discrimination.

Women in Scotland are likely to earn 19 per cent less an hour than men doing a comparable job. For weekly wages the gap can rise to 35 per cent and for women who are black, disabled or geographically isolated, the gap can become even greater.

85 per cent of part-time workers in Scotland are women and part-time workers are particularly affected by poor pay rates. The lower wage rates have a knock-on effect on children since women make up 90 per cent of lone parent families.

If you want to know more about this project please contact Evelyn Fraser, the Close the Gap Development Manager at efraser:@stuc.org.uk or view www.stuc.org.uk/main/sub2.

Religion, belief and sexuality

New laws on discrimination came into force in December 2003.

For the first time in Great Britain it will be unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of someone's religion, belief or sexual orientation.

Both sets of regulations will protect workers from direct and indirect discrimination and apply to all aspects of employment including recruitment, terms and conditions, promotions, transfers, dismissals and training.

However, the specific regulations on sexuality have been weakened by two exemptions, these include the exclusion of pension benefits for unmarried partners and, ironically, exemption for employment by an organisation related to an organised religion.

The TUC is co-ordinating a legal challenge supported by seven trade unions on the basis that the European directive has not been correctly implemented.

An online guide to the new rights on sexuality can be found at www.workSMART.org.uk.

Information on the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations can be found at www.acas.org.uk.

A new report released by the TUC says that by 2013 the Government needs to aim to help at least 60 per cent of disabled people get back into work since this is one of the main reasons for family poverty.

In order to achieve this much more money needs to be spent on employment initiatives for disabled people - as is the case in other European countries.

The South East already has 60 per cent of disabled adults in work and if other parts of Britain had as good a record, there would be an extra 750,000 long-term disabled people in employment.

The TUC, though, rejects the argument that disabled people should be made to look for jobs as a condition of getting their benefits and argues that disabled people must be given adequate resources and training that allows them to compete for jobs on an equal basis.

A recent TUC learning reps survey found that more than one in three (59 per cent) of new learning reps were women and one in four had never had a union role before.

The percentage of learning reps from an ethnic minority had also increased from two per cent in 2000 to six per cent.

The survey can be obtained from Jay Sreedharan at the TUC on 020 7467 1230 or email media@tuc.org.uk.