Farage's 'Pro-Women' Law Could Slash Equal Pay Rights and Cost Female Workers

Unions warn that Nigel Farage's 'pro-women' legislation could cost female workers money by removing equal pay for work of equal value, a move Labour describes as backtracking on 16 years of equality protections. The Trades Union Congress has labelled the Reform UK proposal 'a smokescreen for slashing women's rights' just days before the critical Makerfield by-election, with TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warning working mothers would face particular financial hardship.

The proposed Women and Motherhood Protection Act would replace the 2010 Equality Act, threatening pay entitlements for positions requiring similar skill, effort and accountability despite being different jobs. This protection covers workers in different professions — such as nurses compared to warehouse staff — who perform jobs requiring comparable skill and effort despite not doing identical work.

Equality Act Replacement Could Cost Female Workers Money

Reform UK insists women will retain equal pay rights for equal work, but Nowak and Labour Party leaders argue the legislation concentrates only on genuine discrimination while allowing courts to assess the relative worth of fundamentally different professions. For female workers, this could mean reduced pay protection if their role is compared to a different job requiring similar skills, affecting workers across healthcare, education and retail sectors.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the plans as 'shocking and un-British', warning that scrapping the 2010 law could lead to women facing overt discrimination in workplace settings. The controversy has gained traction as Farage seeks to woo union members ahead of the Makerfield by-election, a strategic move that prompted sharp rebukes from union leaders.

TUC Leader Paul Nowak Warns Farage Reform Plan Is a Smokescreen

Nowak called the Reform proposal 'a smokescreen for slashing women's rights', highlighting the potential financial consequences for female workers if the legislation proceeds through parliament in the coming months.

Reform UK maintains that women will continue to have the right to equal pay for equal work under their proposed legislative framework. The party further emphasised that equal pay laws would concentrate on genuine instances of pay discrimination instead of permitting courts to assess the relative worth of fundamentally different professions.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, remarked that 'Reform has provided no proof that they are allies of workers' in a firm rebuttal statement, according to BBC News.

Unions Distance Themselves From Farage's Reform Pitch

The proposal would supersede current protections established under the Equality Act for nearly 16 years since its introduction. Nowak said the new regulations put in doubt the right to equal pay from jobs that are different but demand comparable levels of skill, effort and responsibility. Labour Party leaders have condemned the repeal plans as threatening overt discrimination across the country if a future Reform government implements them.

Trade unions have separated themselves from Farage following his proposal for them to sever ties with the Labour Party completely. Leaders from the TUC and five significant unions — including Unison, GMB and Unite — countered his invitation, asserting that Reform represents corporate interests over working people.

Farage's Previous Remarks on Women in the Workplace

The proposal has also revived scrutiny of Farage's previous remarks on women in the workplace. Farage previously stated that employers should be 'much freer to make decisions' on hiring after saying Britain has 'moved way beyond' discrimination as a society, according to his remarks during a 2015 BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview.

His 2014 comment that working mothers are 'worth less than men' in the City drew sharp responses, with Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman calling it 'absolute rubbish' and Maternity Action director Rosalind Bragg warning it would 'fuel further prejudice against working women.'

Suella Braverman Supports Farage's Legislative Agenda

Reform's Shadow Education, Skills and Equalities Secretary Suella Braverman, unveiling the party's shadow cabinet, declared that on her first day in office she would eliminate her own equalities role. Braverman claimed the nation is being torn apart by diversity, equality and inclusion along with tokenism and victimhood.

Women with children face a widening gender pay gap, leaving them 33 per cent worse off than men by the time their first child turns 12, according to Institute for Fiscal Studies research. The UK's overall gender pay gap currently stands at 13.1 per cent across all employees, meaning women effectively work without pay for close to 48 working days per year, according to TUC analysis.

The finance and insurance sector carries the largest gap at 29.8 per cent — women in that industry work the equivalent of 109 unpaid days annually. The TUC has warned that the gender pay gap will not close until 2056 without stronger legislative protections, making Reform's proposed rollback of the Equality Act a particular concern for women's groups and union leaders.