Where will equality be in 5 years time?

Aileen McColgan, Matrix Chambers

7th October 2015

Unite the Union, London

#ierequality

www.ier.org.uk

Equality in 2020: law and reality

• The legal position (if within the EU)• Equality legislation (largely) fit for purpose• underpinned by EU law:

• protected characteristics including disability (race including caste, sex, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation and married/ civilly partnered status, religion or belief, age etc)

• future of the PSED less certain – leave/ costs/ intervenors/ review• additional protection of Human Rights Act 1998 less certain still

• how much does that matter?

Equality in 2020: law and reality

• Equality Acts 2006 & 2010• comprehensive• harmonising• clear(ish)• transformative (PSED and positive action)

• But note Tory record even in coalition• refusal to bring into effect socio-economic duty, dual discrimination• repeal of third party harassment – “burdens on business”• catastrophic changes to enforcement

• questionnaires• recommendations• vandalism of the EHRC

• fees

Equality in 2020: law and reality

• the legal position (if not within the EU)• everything may be up for grabs• not just equality legislation as such but protection of disadvantaged

workers – part-time/ fixed-term/ agency workers• enforcement – goodbye EHRC?

Equality in 2020: law and reality

• the reality• zero-hours workers• a “living wage”?• trade union shackling• further and deeper benefit cuts

• not simply welfare cap and changes to tax credits• decimation of local authority services – thus further exacerbating inequality

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