This month we featured on Euro News, in a series on inequality in Europe as the G7 meeting’s key theme was inequality. The Equality Trust called for action instead of words and the need for world leaders to step it up if they are truly serious about tackling inequality. 
Building the movement
Wanda was featured in Civil Society media magazine this month discussing inclusive leadership in the charity sector. In her article, Wanda discusses her role as a black female leader and what the sector must do to create a diverse range of leaders in the future.
Earlier this month, Wanda participated in a consultation on working identities at Cumberland Lodge. The event was a follow up to the March 2019 conference on Working Identities and was an opportunity to discuss in more detail how identities based on work are transforming in an age characterised by precariousness, digitalisation, frequent job changes and potentially meaningless labour.
Equal Pay 50 campaign update
Our #EqualPay50 campaign is growing fast with a series of university-based campaign meetings and seminars starting in November. Find out more, including how you can get involved in November’s Equal Pay month.
You may also have seen us on Sky News speaking about our report on the gender pay and gender bonus gaps in the FTSE 100. Did you know that HSBC Bank has a gender pay gap of 61% and Quadrant Catering operates with a gender bonus gap of 100%, according to our latest report.
Can you donate a Fairness Fiver?
You can take on the gender pay and bonus gaps by donating a Fairness Fiver to support our campaign in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. It was enacted before all the female staff at The Equality Trust were born!ONATE A FAIRNESS FIVER
The Equality Trust will be supporting MILLENNIFEST
MILLENNIFEST is a flagship event series hosted by the think tank Common Vision, which focuses on issues facing millenials. This touring event series is all about moving beyond the stereotypes, and celebrating the young leaders and influencers of today and tomorrow.
The Equality Trust will be running workshops at the London and Birmingham events. The event is free for those under 30, for everyone else it costs £20. However, Equality Trust supporters can get a free ticket using the code (Discount code for free tickets: EqualityTrust-2019).
- MILLENNIFEST London – Saturday 7th September 2019, 10.30 – 17.00 (no code required with this link)
- MILLENNIFEST Manchester – Saturday 28th September 2019, 10.30 – 17.00
- MILLENNIFEST Birmingham – Saturday 5th October 2019, 10.30 – 17.00
- MILLENNIFEST Bristol – Saturday 19th October 2019, 10.30 – 17.00
- MILLENNIFEST Edinburgh – Saturday 26th October 2019, 10.30 – 17.00
The theme of MILLENNIFEST 2019 is Talent: with a programme of inspirational talks, skills masterclasses and policy workshops exploring what the future workforce will look like, and what this means for skills, education, and public leadership. Find out more: www.millennifest.co.uk.
Love Insta, hate inequality?
We’re new to Instagram and would love some more friends!
Give us a follow for memes, photos and ways to take action against inequality.
We’re looking for a social media mastermind to help us create a database of online “influencers” who are interested in the topics of social and economic inequality.
This opportunity would involve researching and collating a database of online influencers, activists, commentators, vloggers/bloggers and celebrities with a high-profile on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram interested in the topics of economic and social inequality.
The volunteer would work flexibly and remotely from wherever they choose. A good knowledge of UK social media personalities and celebrities is essential.
Local Groups Activist Day
Do you want to fight inequality?
We are holding a one-day training workshop on 19th October in London, and we would love to see you there.
- Do you want to curb inequality in your community?
- Do you like to work with other people who are passionate about improving our communities?
- Would you like to learn some campaigning skills?
This year we are inviting existing local group activists as well as other Equality Trust supporters who want to work together to fight inequality.
Places will be limited, so please register early to avoid disappointment. You can register online here.
Contact our local groups organiser Emma (Emma.marks@equalitytrust.org.uk) for more information.
Cambridge Commons strategiseREGISTER TODAY
The Cambridge Commons held an inequality campaigning strategy session focused on the question: “How might we persuade people to consider inequality when making decisions?”.
The Cambridge Commons is developing some campaign messages for university, business and local people. To find out more or to get involved email them at contact@thecambridgecommon.org or contact them via twitter: @cam_commons.
South Wales Equality Representation
Equality South Wales was recently represented at the Swansea Council Equality Scrutiny Panel and is looking at how they can raise a strategic proposal from this group to affect change.
The group continues to raise awareness about inequality issues and has published an article about the Housing Crisis on their website.
The Newport branch of Equality South Wales is looking to relaunch, if you live in Newport and would like to get involved email equalitysouthwales@gmail.com.
EqualPay50 action in Liverpool
New Equality Trust activists in Liverpool have begun planning an equal pay seminar to take place early next year in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of The Equal Pay Act.
If you are Liverpool-based and want to help organise to fight inequality #Merseystyle contact Aida Narimani.
London Equality Manifesto
Last month, 30 people came together from across the capital to develop a manifesto for next year’s London Mayoral candidates. Activists explored a range of solutions to London’s inequality – calling for rent controls, promoting the London Living Wage for under 21s, more investment in families and children’s services and investment in green infrastructure.
On Saturday 14th September, My Fair London will be officially launching its manifesto and campaign for a Fair London. Don’t miss out – register your attendance now.
My Fair London continues to support The Equality Trust’s Fairness Fifteen project and has so far established contact with a third of the London boroughs.
Would your local group like to campaign for a real Living Wage?
Our friends, the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) support a growing national network of frontline food aid providers including food banks and campaigns to address the root causes of food poverty driving the growth of charitable food aid. In-work poverty is growing and many people driven to use food banks have jobs that don’t pay enough for them to pay bills and feed themselves and their families.
Would you like to connect with other local volunteers in your community to promote a real living wage? Of the 408 local authorities within the UK, only 108 are Living Wage accredited so there is still a lot of work to be done. In addition to local authorities, you can also see which local employers are (and are not) accredited through the Living Wage Foundation‘s website.
IFAN represents a widespread network across the UK and is a core partner within the End Hunger UK coalition. Many of IFAN’s member organisations would like to find the time to campaign to address inequality but are too overwhelmed by the escalating food poverty crisis. Demand for emergency food aid is growing weekly. By working together with IFAN members, Equality Trust local groups could play a key role in supporting those in food poverty to advocate for the changes needed to address food insecurity. To find out more, contact us via info@equalitytrust.org.uk
Stir to Action
On the back of a hugely successful pilot in 2018, our friends at Stir to Action have launched The New Economy Programme – a year of practical one-day workshops and three-day residentials.
Their 2019-2020 programme is now open for bookings and is relaunching in Plymouth, Bradford, Newcastle, Bristol, London, and Dorset from October 2019 to July 2020. Check out their programme!
LATEST BLOGS / COMMENT / RESOURCES
- How America went from the most egalitarian to the most unequal society
- From Amanda Janoo at We-All: Seven Things we can do to tackle inequality and deliver wellbeing
- Wanda Wyporska’s talk about inclusive leadership in Civil Society
- Does technology thrive in inequality?
- Guest Blog! Prospect the Union talk to The Equality Trust about the gender pension gap
- Worried about productivity? ‘Pay your staff more’ says think tank NEF
- The New Statesman talks about the link between inequality and social maladies (‘The Spirit Level’ quoted)
- We comment on a report that BAME and female military staff face disproportionate discrimination in HR magazine
KEY DEVELOPMENTS AND REPORTS
- High Pay Centre and CIPD report on CEO pay
- Prospect the Union’s report on the gender pension gap
- The G7s deadly sins: A G7 report from Oxfam
- Read the Institute of Fiscal Studies report into characteristics and incomes of the top 1%
- Runnymede Trust’s report on ‘Race, Class and Institutional Prejudice’
INEQUALITY IN THE NEWS
- Excellent local press about the Gender Pay Gap amongst graduates in Birmingham Live, South Wales Echo (Cardiff), Grimsby Telegraph, Manchester Evening News, The Journal (Newcastle), The Chronicle (Newcastle), and the Hull Daily Mail.
- Hypocrisy of student housing execs salaries exposed while students struggle to make ends meet
- Wanda Wyporska’s TV appearance on Euro News talking about the G7
- Germany’s Social Democrats are joining the call for a wealth tax
- Inequality whitewash downunder
- The need for fair pay in football
- More on the FTSE 100’s fat cat salaries
- UK has the worst gender pension gap in Europe
BEST INEQUALITY READS AND LISTENS
- More or less on the pay gap on BBC Radio 4
- #NotTheNobel free webinar exploring the need and effect of the Nobel prize for economics
- Wanda appears on The Real Agenda podcast to talk about the problem of excessive wealth
- BBC looks into the factors affecting pay rises: no surprise to find gender is a huge factor (as well as being born in the 80s).
- Comedians have us in stitches over the gender pay gap
To find out more about any of our projects or to get involved, please get in contact. Thanks again for another fabulous month! We couldn’t do it without your support