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Train drivers on track with lowest gender pay gap

TRAIN drivers have the narrowest pay gap between men and women, according to new statistics compiled by the Government Equalities Office.

The overall gender pay in Britain is 18.4 per cent while for train drivers it is just 0.7 per cent.

Train drivers’ union Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan attributed the small difference to widespread union membership and the protection ensured by collective bargaining agreements.

The gap would be even narrower if there were more female train drivers working full-time, or men working part-time, he suggested.

“I am delighted that train drivers have the lowest gender pay gap of any job in the UK,” Mr Whelan said.

“As a trade union, we can only recruit people as members who have been selected, and trained, to work as drivers by the train and freight operating companies.

“But we work with these companies, every day of every week, to ensure they encourage women, as well as men, to become train drivers.”

Around 96 per cent of train drivers are Aslef members. Out of 19,661 Aslef members, 6.5 per cent of them are women.

Mr Whelan said that the rail industry must do more to recruit more women.

Organisations with 250 or more employees have to report their gender pay gaps to the government by April 4.

Meanwhile, a TUC study published yesterday showed that the gender pay gap is widest when a woman reaches 50, when she will be paid over £8,400 less than a man doing an equivalent job.

Full-time female workers are paid less than men at every stage of their career in their adult life, the TUC found.

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