§ 44. Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity following the equal pay for equal work provision in the recent Ford agreement, what is her policy regarding similar provisions in other companies and industries in relation to the achievement of equal pay for equal work.
§ Mrs. CastleThe Government welcome any provisions in collective agreements which promote equal pay within the terms of the productivity, prices and incomes policy. This puts no bar or ceiling on differential increases designed to promote equal pay if the overall settlement conforms with the policy.
§ 63. Mr. Norwoodasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) what further steps she proposes to take towards the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value; and if she now proposes to introduce legislation to ratify the International Labour Office Convention 100;
(2) if she will now indicate the date from which her seven-year phasing of the implementation of equal pay will start.
§ 65. Mr. Milneasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will now undertake to re-examine the time-table of the seven-year phasing of the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value in view of the issuing of a plan for national superannuation.
§ Mrs. CastleThe inquiry into the costs of introducing equal pay in specific industries which my Department is conducting in agreement with the T.U.C. and C.B.I. is nearing completion. As soon as the results are available, I will be having further talks with both sides of industry on the timing and phasing of a programme of implementation, which will be framed with due regard to the Government's other social policies including 3W the new proposals for earnings-related social security. The Government are not yet in a position to ratify I.L.O. Convention 100.