Unions have warned that a law proposed by Nigel Farage to 'strengthen women's rights' could actually cost female workers money by removing equal pay for work of equal value.
Reform UK's Proposed Legislation
Reform UK has proposed a 'Women and Motherhood Protection Act' that it says will restore equality before the law. The proposal, made days before the Makerfield by-election, has been described as 'shameless and deceptive' by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Impact on Equal Pay
The new policy would supersede the 2010 Equality Act, putting in doubt the right to equal pay for jobs that are different but demand comparable levels of skill, effort, and responsibility. The TUC highlighted that the Equality Act has forced payouts, such as the case where over 3,500 workers at Next won a six-year battle in 2024 when an employment tribunal ruled that store staff, predominantly women, should not have been paid less than warehouse employees, where just over half the staff are male. Next is appealing the judgment.
Reform UK's Justification
Under Reform UK's plan, the party suggests women's rights are better protected by laws from the 1970s and 1990s, such as the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Employment Rights Act 1996. The party claims its new act will extend the time limit for pregnancy and maternity claims of unfair dismissal from three months to 12 months.
Criticism from TUC
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said Reform has 'serious questions to answer' on whether it would keep the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. He described the comments around motherhood as patronising and called the proposal 'a smokescreen for slashing women's rights and making life harder for families.'
'Let's call this out for what it is – a smokescreen for slashing women's rights and making life harder for families,' said Nowak. 'It's shameless and deceptive.'
Nowak added that it was 'galling and offensive' to ask women to be grateful for commitments to keep protections that have been around for half a century.
By-Election Context
Voters in Makerfield will go to the polls on Thursday. The by-election features Andy Burnham's electoral and prime ministerial aspirations being challenged by Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon, who has been accused of making offensive comments about women on social media. One account linked to Kenyon wrote that women can't 'ref, drive or give directions' and stated: 'I'm sexist, sorry but I am.' Kenyon has also admitted to making 'crass comments' about television presenter Carol Vorderman. Farage has downplayed the comments as 'laddish pub talk.'
