Mind the gap: Difference in gender pay at Transport for Wales hits 41.5%
Transport for Wales have revealed that their gender pay gap is 41.5 per cent, up from 14 per cent at the end of last December.
They put the alarming figure down to an increase in staffing levels at the beginning of this year, specifically having more catering staff on board as they say the majority of senior and middle management roles are held by men.
The statistic was published as part of the rail company's annual report.
Gender equality charity, Chwarae Teg said while this clearly demonstrates improvement is needed, it is positive that Transport for Wales have identified the problem so it can be tackled.
The average gender pay gap (GPG) figure for Wales is 15 per cent, with Transport for Wales' latest figure being almost three times that.
In April last year the company had a pay gap of 18.6 per cent, which dropped to 14 per cent in December 2019.
They explain in their report that between January and March 2020, they have more than doubled their staff headcount.
More than half of these extra staff are in catering and they point out that it is the management roles that are mostly occupied by males.
Lisa Yates, Transport for Wales' Director of People and Organisational Development, said: "Moving forward, our pay model will ensure that in future the only differences in pay are based on contribution and performance. This will take some time to impact our GPG in a positive way.
"We're working very hard to ensure equality of opportunity for all employees, with our work focusing on all protected characteristics including gender.
"We're also leading the Diversity Working Group, that was established earlier this year by the Welsh Government and is working to encourage more women to consider a career in the transport sector and help diversify the industry."
The average hourly pay for both men and women at the company has also gone down, dropping from £27.73 in 2019 for men to £17.44 now. For women this has decreased from £22.56 last year to £10.20 on average per hour in 2020.
The National Minimum Wage for those over 25 years old is £8.21 per hour.
Cerys Furlong, Chief Executive at Chwarae Teg, said that although this gender pay gap figure is "far bigger" than the Welsh average, it is good that Transport for Wales have published the data so we know there is a problem.
She said: "Data on equality is not something to be scared of and at the end of the day if we don't know the scale of the problem then it can't be tackled.
"It's important that Transport for Wales now understands the causes of the pay gap and puts into place an action plan to address it. The solution will no doubt need to include steps to diversify recruitment, in order to attract a broader base of future rail industry workers, as well as adopting ways of working that support women to progress.
She also points out that equal gender pay is a "notable issue across the transport sector".
Ms Furlong added: "Welsh Government has committed to making Wales a gender equal nation. It's important that even in a time of crisis we don't take our eye off the ball when it comes to equality, by making sure that Welsh Government's vision is put into practice across national organisations like Transport for Wales."
Transport for Wales is owned by Welsh Government and they have been approached for comment.
The gender pay gap is calculated as the difference between the average earnings of men and women as a proportion of the earnings of men. This is based on hourly pay and usually excludes overtime.
It is not the difference between men and women for doing the same job.
It indicates the difference in earnings of women and men across a whole area or company which can help reveal where there are barriers to women progressing.