Mayo Minister represents Ireland at summit which focussed on reducing the gender pay gap
The Minister of State for Small Business, Retail, and Employment, Alan Dillon, represented Ireland at the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting (LEMM) in George, South Africa this week. This was the first time Ireland took part in the LEMM.
The Minister, from Castlebar, attended the event which focused on four key themes including: youth employment, gender equality in the workplace, social security and platform work, and strategies to address inequality and declining the labour income share.
Following the event, ministers committed to building stronger and more prosperous economies by developing a sustainable, resilient workforce, and acknowledging the urgent need to address inequalities and promote fairness in the workplace.
During the delegation, Minister Dillon announced that Ireland had joined the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), a multilateral partnership that works to reduce the gender pay gap at global, regional, and national levels.
“I am proud to announce that Ireland has officially become a member of the Equal Pay International Coalition,” said Minister Dillon, “This marks a significant step forward in our commitment, as a nation, in ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender, receive equal pay for work of equal value.
Aligned with the vision of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Coalition works to accelerate progress toward this goal, recognising that sustained and collective efforts are needed to close the gender pay gap.”
EPIC consists of 67 members, including The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and 28 other government entities. It is currently the only multi-stakeholder partnership working to reduce the gender pay gap at global, regional and national levels.
EPIC’s goal is to achieve equal pay for women and men everywhere. The coalition supports governments, employers, workers, and their organisations to make concrete and coordinated progress towards this goal.
Minister Dillon continued: “Joining EPIC is a joint initiative between the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, which leads on gender equality and gender pay gap policy. This combined approach is designed to maximise the impact of Ireland’s membership of EPIC.”
The LEMM meeting brought together over 150 delegates from G20 member states, including labour and employment ministers, as well as representatives from labour and business groups, the European Union, the African Union, and international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation.
The theme for the G20’s 2025 presidency, currently held by South Africa, is ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’. The theme of the LEMM meeting closely aligned with this focusing on ‘Living and Working in an Unequal World: Ensuring Decent Work and Decent Lives’. Collectively, G20 countries account for around 85% of global GDP, 75% of global trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.
In addition to attending the G20 LEMM meeting, Minister Dillon also travelled to Cape Town for a programme organised by Enterprise Ireland and Business Ireland South Africa (BISA). BISA aims to encourage commercial links and networking opportunities between Ireland and South Africa.
The Fine Gael Minister said that this interaction would help deepen the understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Irish enterprises operating and trading with South Africa, and reinforce the importance of international collaboration in driving innovation, sustainability and job creation.
This report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme