Working part-time for the state: Gender, class and the public sector pay gap

This article explores the role and nature of disadvantages associated with part-time working in perpetuating the gender pay gap in the public sector. It does so by means of a detailed case study of local government workers in the UK, with particular reference to the more than one and a half million local government service workers covered by National Joint Council bargaining arrangements. The article draws from original pay data analysis and national survey work conducted by the author. It argues that little has changed since the findings reported 20 years ago by Beechey and Perkins with respect to the disadvantages experienced by part-time workers and the 'construction' of employment in gendered ways. However, the role of class may have been understated in previous accounts: class fractions in gender-segregated employment continue to hold deep significance and provide some potential for solidaristic approaches by trade unions alongside traditional 'equality' initiatives.