Key facts
- Reform UK has proposed a Women and Motherhood Protection Act.
- Unions, including the TUC, argue this plan could undermine equal pay for work of equal value.
- The TUC described the proposal as 'shameless and deceptive'.
- Reform UK suggested a return to protections from the 1970s and 1990s.
- The party also proposed extending the time limit for pregnancy and maternity claims for unfair dismissal.
Reform UK has put forward a proposal for a Women and Motherhood Protection Act, which unions argue could significantly weaken women's rights and financial standing. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has strongly criticized the plan, calling it 'shameless and deceptive' and a 'smokescreen for slashing women’s rights'.
The core concern raised by the TUC is that the proposed legislation would supersede the 2010 Equality Act and could eliminate the right to equal pay for work of equal value. This means women in different roles, even if requiring comparable skill, effort, and responsibility, might no longer be able to claim equal pay. The TUC points to past successes, such as over 3,500 workers at Next winning a six-year battle in 2024 for equal pay, as examples of the protections the proposed act could jeopardize.
Reform UK suggests that women's rights are better served by legislation from the 1970s and 1990s, specifically mentioning the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Employment Rights Act 1996. The party also proposes extending the time limit for pregnancy and maternity claims related to unfair dismissal from three months to 12 months, stating that new mothers should focus on their child rather than legal paperwork.
However, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak has expressed deep skepticism, questioning whether the party would uphold the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. He described the party's stance on motherhood as patronizing and stated that ripping up the Equality Act would effectively legalize discrimination. Nowak also highlighted that Reform UK has downplayed alleged misogynistic comments made by its Makerfield candidate, Rob Kenyon, as 'laddish banter', further fueling concerns about the party's commitment to women's rights.