| 4 in 10 workers in Liverpool 
believe the gender pay gap is 'out of their hands' NEW research from the UK's leading 
independent job board, CV Library, has found that 41.2% of employees in 
Liverpool believe that the gender pay gap is 'out of their hands', with 
75% admitting that they've been paid less because of their gender.
The research, which surveyed 1,000 UK workers on their attitudes towards the 
gender pay gap in Britain, found that despite there being concerns around 
stopping pay inequality, 83.3% of workers in the city do believe that their 
employer can effectively measure any gaps in their organisation. 
 When asked what else could be done to prevent any further disconnect, employees 
in Liverpool cited: set salaries for each industry/role (30.8%), more support 
for working mums and dads (30.8%), ending the stigma around women going on 
maternity leave (30.8%) and more confidence amongst women to ask for more money 
(7.7%).
 
 Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV Library, comments:- "The 
gender pay gap has been a topic of discussion for many years now, but it's 
concerning that it's come to a point where workers now see no way out. While 
there's been some development to better support working parents, such as the 
introduction of shared parental leave, organisations must work hard to 
facilitate their employees and create an honest and open culture where women 
feel comfortable taking a stance against inequality."
 
 The study comes just 1 month before the changes in legislation around gender pay 
reporting are set to come in place. When asked about their attitudes towards 
these new rules, 70% of workers in Liverpool said that they would be happy for 
their company to publish their salary. In addition, 52.4% said that their reason 
behind this is that it would be fair for everyone. 
However, of the 30% who said that they wouldn't be happy for their salary to be 
revealed, 66.7% said that it's because it is private information. Furthermore, 
41.2% of workers in Liverpool believe that the changes that are being put in 
place, in April 2017, will be enough.
 
 Biggins continues:- "The new legislation coming into play in April should 
go some way to highlighting gaps in UK organisations, but it's clear that the 
issue won't end here. Our survey found that 43.3% of workers in Manchester think 
that there's more that could be done to stop the gender pay gap and the 
Government needs to listen. Without effectively tackling the issues around 
flexible working, caring responsibilities, helping women aged over 40 back into 
the workforce, and general workplace discrimination, the UK can't expect to see 
the gender pay gap to truly close for some time. We hope that our research is 
another wake up call for the nation when it comes to tackling unequal pay."
 
 For more information, download the full report 
online.
 |  | Merseyrail profits would pay 
for keeping guards almost 3 times overPhoto by RMT Union.
 
 MERSEYRAIL and Merseytravel claims that 
they cannot afford to keep guards have been exposed as entirely wrong and 
misleading by new research showing that dividends paid out by Merseryrail are up 
to ₤14million a year, almost 3 times the cost of keeping guards. 
The research also shows that in 2014 the revenue income of Merseyrail was ₤51 
million, and Merseyrail paid out a dividend not far short of ₤14 million meaning 
a quarter of passenger fares ending up in the pockets of Merseyrails owners, 
Serco and Dutch state owned Abellio. RMT believes that instead of getting rid of Guards Merseyrail should forsake 
some of its dividends to pay keep the guards and if it does not do so 
voluntarily then Merseytravel should renegotiate its contract with Merseyrail. 
If Merseyrail won't cooperate then, when their contract expires in 2028, any new 
contract should ensure that revenues are retained to keep the guards; this is 
easily achievable as the new trains are to be brought through a 30 year long 
financing deal.
 Mick Cash RMT General Secretary said:- "These figures show that up to a 
quarter of fare revenue is being sucked out of Merseyrail to pay for dividends 
of around ₤14m a year.
That is frankly obscene under any circumstances but the fact that around ₤14m a 
year is being allowed to leak out of Meresyrail while at the same time senior 
Liverpool politicians are pleading poverty as an excuse to get rid of guards 
will be utterly unacceptable for passengers and Council Tax Payers. And as 
Merseyrail is part owned by the Dutch state railway it is a case of Merseyside 0 
Holland ₤14m. Merseyrail can easily afford to cough up and pay to keep our 
guards and if they don't then Liverpool's politicians should renegotiate 
Merseyrail's contract.  If Merseyrail don't agree to new terms now, then 
the 30 year financing of the new trains easily allows enough scope for a new 
Merseyrail contract to ensure that revenues are retained to keep our guards. At 
the very least as we approach the elections in May Liverpool politicians should 
be calling for a review of the financing options."
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