A demonstration featuring 18 young daughters of union members was organised by British affiliate Amicus outside the conference of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on 24 November 2002.

The 18 girls represented the 18% pay gap which still exists between men and women, 31 years after the UK’s Equal Pay Act was passed. Using the slogan ‘We won’t wait a lifetime’, the demonstration highlighted the fact that the girls would have to wait approximately 40 years for equal pay with men if the gender pay gap is left to close at its current rate. Amicus wants the CBI to endorse its call for mandatory equal pay reviews, which would expose employers with discriminatory pay practices. The union believes that equal pay reviews are the most effective means for achieving a significant reduction in the pay gap between men and women, yet only 10 per cent of employers in the UK have agreed to its demand for voluntary equal pay reviews.