Bermuda is today celebrating International Equal Pay Day for the first time.

Celebrated in United Nations member states around the world, the day highlights unjust practices in the workplace and aims to ensure “equal pay for equal work”.

Jason Hayward, the Minister of Labour, said that Bermuda needs to make progress in this area of pay disparity.

He said: “A comprehensive review of workplace remuneration in Bermuda is long overdue and a tough yet versatile approach involving all of the necessary stakeholders will be required to effectively address the root causes of pay disparity and the gender pay gap within Bermuda.”

On November 15 of last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution introduced by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) and declared 18 September as International Equal Pay Day.

EPIC’s Vision is: “An equal and inclusive world of work, in which women and men receive equal pay for work of equal value across all counties and sectors”. The day calls on workers’ and employers’ groups, international organisations, civil societies, including non-governmental organisations, and the private sector, to mark the occasion.

The Ministry of Labour will be participating in a virtual event organised by EPIC to exchange ideas and evidence on how to accelerate change towards equal pay for work of equal value.

In a recent employment survey conducted in Bermuda by the Department of Statistics, the Median Gross Annual Income based on a workweek of 35 hours or more shows a notable pay disparity between sexes, races, Bermudians, non-Bermudians, and Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders, within major occupational groups such as the armed forces, senior officials, managers, technicians, and associate professionals.

Mr Hayward added: “Although EPIC and the International Equal Pay Day highlights equal pay for work of equal value between men and women, I recognise the need to adequately address the pay disparity that exists in Bermuda across races, status, and sex.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Labour added: “In the workplace, race and gender pay disparity has been in existence for far too long, and it is time to spark the change that will benefit all demographics of the workforce.

“To properly address the multiple causes of race and gender pay disparity, we must adopt a strong and multifaceted approach involving all community stakeholders. It is the responsibility of employers, unions, and the government to achieve that which is long overdue in our community — equal pay.”