The gender pay gap is a depressing but familiar tale: equally qualified men and women doing the same job, but paid different amounts for it, the women almost always the ones getting less. What has not been highlighted until now is the existence of a class pay gap: people from working class backgrounds being paid less for working in professions than those who have professional parents. A new report from the Social Mobility Commission today highlights this problem and the results should be a concern for employers in Britain.
This only scratches the surfaces of how the negotiations might proceed. But if the government's White Paper is going to be worth its salt it will need to address each of these critical areas with pragmatism and foresight. Only with a clear negotiating strategy can the government secure a favourable deal...
Battered, bruised, but strangely bigger than ever, the fourth estate is at a tipping point. News is still the most powerful force in politics; journalists can still bring the Donald to his knees, but they must try harder, they must do better, they must get used to the idea that the cosy relationships of the past 30 years are over, and find a new way of reaching a distrusting public with a strong and simple message.
The government must acknowledge that healthcare workers are uniquely placed to provide solutions to the problems we face. They must engage and work with unions, like the BMA, and listen to our ideas and concerns rather than impose draconian change like the junior doctors contract.
The Prime Minister has pledged to address the level of mental health provision; while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prince Harry, publically supported a campaign to aid young people with mental health issues. My concern is that older people's needs, in this case mental health, are yet again going under the radar.
I remember the day we found out we were both pregnant, we began making plans for the future. We soon settled into being the best of pregnancy friends. It was our little secret, a bond between us, as women, as mothers.
To the strangers who removed my breasts last week, thank you. Thank you for doing the job you do, which may well lead to me being alive for longer; to me spending more days and weeks and years with my family.
For Manchester United and Memphis Depay, a permanent sale with a buy-back clause is the best scenario both parties could have wished for, while even Lyon have more control this way. The player has a fresh start somewhere new, and the club don't have to completely give up on a clearly talented individual that may still come good in time. All in all, buy-back clauses are only going to become more and more common.
I don't like the word flexitarian. It sounds pretentious and smug; I wouldn't blame anyone for rolling their eyes when they hear it. But for the purposes of description, that's what I have recently become, eating mostly vegetarian or vegan meals with meat, fish and dairy products as occasional treats.
Independent music venues in the UK face tough times. While some thrive, like The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, a significant number struggles to survive due to rising rents, council license restrictions and redevelopment plans. In a time of financial uncertainty and global political division, we need their DIY-culture and punk spirit more than ever. Not least of all the audience.
The little things are what made me smile through treatment. I remember taking a walk each day just to feel the sunshine on my face. I remember the moment I could taste bread again after chemo. I remember the safety pin that arrived in the post from a friend so that it could help me hold it all together if I couldn't find the strength.
Moana is one of the many great kids' movies that have been released in recent months - a film about an adventurous young girl who sets out on a daring mission to save her people. As is customary these days, the animation is incredible, the script is sharp and funny and there are strong moral messages. But the main thing I came away with is that girl power is alive and well.
'Ethical', 'sustainable', 'eco', 'green', 'transparent', 'slow' - there are numerous buzzwords within sustainable fashion, but the message that this niche part of the industry is trying to portray still seems to exist within a vacuum. This is the year we all really need to step up and change things.
We cannot let these policies of fear spread. Turning our backs on some of the world's most vulnerable people will only play into the hands of fanatics whose warped ideology feeds on division. Now is the time to stand together against this hate and stand steadfast in our compassion and support for those forced to flee terror and conflict.
Six organisations representing teachers, head teachers and support staff, have found that 98% of schools in England are going to be worse off as a result of the Tories' changes to schools funding. Almost every school in England now faces severe budget cuts.
Looking smart and looking glamorous are two different things. Ask your employees, male and female, to look smart, by all means. But forcing them to wear deeply uncomfortable shoes simply so they can look glamorous isn't right.
Labour will also seek to ensure the Government publish a proper plan - ideally a White Paper - before Article 50 is triggered. The House of Commons has already voted overwhelmingly for a Labour Opposition Motion that called for the Government to publish a Brexit plan, and the Prime Minister should be in no doubt that we do not consider a 45-minute speech to be any substitute.
I turn 65 on Wednesday. This year I celebrate 50 years of human rights activism. Retirement hasn't entered my head. There is still so much to do. The brain and eye damage from bashings by Mugabe's thugs and Moscow neo-Nazis is minor and doesn't stop me. I carry on. My plan is to keep going for another 30 years.
More heavyweight than the Soap Awards and less stuffy than the BAFTAs, the National Television Awards is always an entertaining night (if not always for the right reasons - I'm looking at you, Judy Finnigan).
Hanne's trademark is her spirit and innovative style. Her message for intersex people today is "you can be whoever you want." I truly believe there are people, like me, reading Hanne's story who now feeling stronger, supported, beautiful, and hopeful about the future.
One of the most difficult challenges unions face after they win the right to organise is to convince employees to become workplace representatives. But when we asked workers at Shirebrook to volunteer, a queue of people came forward. It was inspirational. They had gone from frightened workers to emboldened individuals who understood the power they had to demand change. And they won. That's why I get so angry when people say unions don't matter. They do.
As a single gay man, it has long been my earnest aspiration to be Elizabeth Bennet. But as time passes (I have recently turned 30), I realise that I may more likely be one of the other characters instead. As a man, one might imagine that the situation would be very different for me and that I would have much more agency in this regard.