MIKE BUCHANAN AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS CAMPAIGNING FOR EQUALITY

Last week, we mentioned Mike was appearing at the Select Committee into Women in the Workplace. Please read his comments about it (here and here) and he kindly has supplied a link (1 hour 34 mins in) so you can watch the appearance. Must see TV and shows how sensible and responsible activism can succeed.

Posted by Skimmington

Comments

[Groan]

The latest survey report on Business and Equality.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/9552.aspx

Confirming that overall there seems little to be concerned about from employers and employees. This quote from the report suggests that all the pressure from Gov. is top down rather than reflecting reality. As Catherine Hakim points out on gender, the desires of a few highly motivated career women are generating a crusade for quotas and positive action when there isn't popular demand for this.

"Pressure to promote equality is not coming principally from staff but from external pressures or organisations’ sense of moral or social responsibility. Even among large organisations, only a quarter mention pressure from staff or trade unions. This finding underlines the importance of external regulatory and moral pressures."

[Mike Buchanan]

Thanks Groan. It is indeed 'top down' but none the less concerning for that. Employers are doing precisely nothing to fight the threat of quotas in the UK - it's the threat of them that have increased the proportion of new FTSE100 appointments going to women from 13% to 55% in just two years. Not one FTSE100 chairman or CEO (to the best of my knowledge) has objected publicly to the threat of qiotas. These men are handing power to poorly-qualified women on a plate.

The CBI should be objecting to the threat of quotas but is itself part of the problem. Indeed the current President Sir Roger Carr (chairman of Centrica) was a founder member of the 30% club and remains an active 'member' although he doesn't personally believe that having more women on boards leads to improved financial performance. He says they improve 'meeting atmospherics'. Unbelievable.

Mike Buchanan
CAMPAIGN FOR MERIT IN BUSINESS
http://c4mb.wordpress.com