Women earn 0.6 per cent more than men at Northumberland County Council

Coun Richard Wearmouth said he was “very pleased” women earned more at the council “on balance.”

According to the government’s website, in 2022/23 women’s mean hourly pay was 0.6% higher at the council than men’s. Furthermore, women occupy 63.6% of the highest paid jobs at the council.

In comparision, the mean average gender pay gap across the UK – that is, the difference between men and women’s average hourly pay – was 5.45% in 2022 according to government figures. In monetary terms, the mean hourly difference in pay is £1.44.

It is understood that the £209,000 payout to former chief executive Daljit Lally was not included in the calculation, which was based solely off salaries.

Furthermore, the figures were also a significant improvement for women’s pay on last year. For 2021/22, women’s hourly pay was 1.4% lower than men’s.

Speaking during a discussion of the council’s pay policy at last week’s meeting of the county council, deputy leader Coun Richard Wearmouth said: “I will circulate a paper in due course.

“I’m not too sure if it’s been completed yet and it’s going through some checks, so I haven’t been able to circulate it yet but if I recall correctly, without my notes to hand, I think that 60% of the workforce in the last year was women.

“I’m very pleased to say that, on balance, they are paid ever so slighly more than men.”

Following Coun Wearmouth’s announcement, there was a round of applause in the council chamber.

Documents presented to the council stated that the mandatory gender pay gap must be reported on or by March 31 each year, and that this would provide further transparency in relation to gender and pay.

The council is required to prepare and publish a pay policy statement under the Localism Act 2011. It is used to describe the council’s policies towards a range of issues relating to the pay of its workforce, particularly its senior staff and lowest-paid emplyees.

Northumberland County Council said it “wishes to ensure that it operates on the principles of equal pay for work of equal value”.

The gender pay gap report also showed there had been no bonuses paid out by the council.