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That is a surprise, isn’t it?

“Women in Ireland have made very significant strides,” says Marie Sherlock, head of equality and policy at one of Ireland’s largest trade unions, Siptu. “But there are more women in lower-paid jobs in all sectors.” Women’s share of health employment has increased from 79% in 2008 to 81% in 2017, and the number of women in education jobs has risen from 65% to 74%, according to the union’s analysis. The Irish civil service and related state agencies has seen the greatest transformation, with women going from 38% of total employment in 2008 to 52% in 2017.

Sherlock says there is no single answer that will decrease the gender pay gap and the segregation of too many Irish women into low-paid, often part-time jobs. But she and her union are urging action on a number of fronts, including greater pay transparency and collective bargaining, to increase wages for both men and women.

Unions says unions are the solution to a problem.

10 thoughts on “That is a surprise, isn’t it?”

  1. “Sherlock says there is no single answer that will decrease the gender pay gap”

    Women doing the same work as men at the same level of seniority and experience?

  2. “Men in Ireland are facing very significant problems,” says Marie Sherlock, head of equality and policy at one of Ireland’s largest trade unions, Siptu. “But there are more men in full-time jobs in all sectors.” Men’s share of health employment has shrunk from 21% in 2008 to 19% in 2017, and the number of men in education jobs has fallen from 35% to 26%, according to the union’s analysis. The Irish civil service and related state agencies have seen the greatest transformation, with men going from 62% of total employment in 2008 to just 48% in 2017.”

    Won’t somebody think of the 48%?

    And just because: No shit, Sherlock.

  3. On the reduction of men in the government sectors:
    – wasn’t Ireland one of the few countries in the world to actually cut the size of the government post 2008/9?
    – does this mean that they fired more men than women?

  4. “Won’t somebody think of the 48%?”

    No.

    Can’t remember who it was that posted a link to an exchange in an Australian parliamentary commission on equality in the workforce. The summary of which was someone asking whether the commission would be looking at the huge imbalance in deaths from work related accidents (nearly all men) and being told no, the commission wouldn’t be looking at that because it wasn’t in their terms of reference and on being asked why not, being told because it wasn’t and on being asked whether they would change their terms of reference, being told that they wouldn’t, because something or other.

  5. “increased from 79% in 2008 to 81% in 2017, and the number of women in education jobs has risen from 65% to 74%, according to the union’s analysis. The Irish civil service and related state agencies has seen the greatest transformation, with women going from 38%“

    Birds nicking all the easy jobs then.

  6. Bloke in North Dorset

    MC,

    That’s the gist you of it. Women didn’t really start agitating for equal access to work until the majority of men started working in comfy offices. Even no w we don’t find campaigns for equality in deep sea fishing or other dangerous jobs.

  7. This ties in with the Scandi parental leave thing. Give wimmin careers choices and they’ll choose the safe low-paid careers, damn them! Don’t they realise they’re not supposed to do that?

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