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The Road is Long: Thirty Years of Equality Legislation in Britain

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  • Linda Dickens

Abstract

This article critically reflects upon the development of British employment equality law, tracking a positive yet hesitant, uneven and incomplete trajectory from anti‐discrimination towards equality, and from piecemeal and patchwork coverage towards inclusiveness, integration and intersectionality. It argues that the opportunities provided by the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights and the proposed Single Equality Act should be taken to address remaining weaknesses in the legislative equality package and the limitations in enforcement approaches which the article highlights.

Suggested Citation

  • Linda Dickens, 2007. "The Road is Long: Thirty Years of Equality Legislation in Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(3), pages 463-494, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:45:y:2007:i:3:p:463-494
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8543.2007.00624.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John W. Budd & Karen Mumford, 2004. "Trade Unions and Family-Friendly Policies in Britain," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 57(2), pages 204-222, January.
    2. Trevor Colling & Linda Dickens, 1998. "Selling the Case for Gender Equality: Deregulation and Equality Bargaining," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 389-411, September.
    3. Linda Dickens, 2000. "Collective bargaining and the promotion of gender equality at work: opportunities and challenges for trade unions," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 6(2), pages 193-208, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yekaterina Chzhen & Karen Mumford, "undated". "Gender Gaps Across the Earnings Distribution in Britain: Are Women Bossy Enough?," Discussion Papers 09/27, Department of Economics, University of York.
    2. Simon Deakin & Sarah Fraser Butlin & Colm McLaughlin & Aleksandra Polanska, 2014. "Are Litigation & Collective Bargaining Complements or Substitutes for Achieving Gender Equality? A Study of the British Equal Pay Act," Working Papers wp466, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    3. Marie Drolet & Karen Mumford, 2012. "The Gender Pay Gap for Private-Sector Employees in Canada and Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(3), pages 529-553, September.
    4. Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk, 2023. "Is the disability wage gap a gendered inequality? Evidence from a 13-year full population study from Norway," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    5. Tim Butcher & Karen Mumford & Peter N. Smith, 2019. "The Gender Earnings Gap in British Workplaces: A Knowledge Exchange Report," Discussion Papers 19/10, Department of Economics, University of York.
    6. Karen Mumford & Cristina Sechel, 2020. "Pay and Job Rank among Academic Economists in the UK: Is Gender Relevant?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(1), pages 82-113, March.
    7. Deborah Foster & Patricia Fosh, 2010. "Negotiating ‘Difference’: Representing Disabled Employees in the British Workplace," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(3), pages 560-582, September.
    8. Nicolas Bacon & Kim Hoque, 2012. "The Role and Impact of Trade Union Equality Representatives in Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(2), pages 239-262, June.
    9. Guglielmo Meardi & Jimmy Donaghey & Deborah Dean, 2016. "The strange non-retreat of the state: implications for the sociology of work," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 30(4), pages 559-572, August.
    10. Deborah Dean, 2015. "Deviant typicality: gender equality issues in a trade union that should be different from others," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 37-53, January.
    11. Deborah Foster, 2015. "Devolution and disabled workers: the experiences of union equality representatives in Wales," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 153-168, March.
    12. A. Bennett, 2011. "Learning to Be Job Ready: Strategies for Greater Social Inclusion in Public Sector Employment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 347-359, December.

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