The Hindu Business Line : Obama signs equal pay Bill

WASHINGTON: The US President, Mr Barack Obama has signed his first Bill into law since he assumed the top office, making a historic provision that ensures equal pay for both men and women.

“This Bill is an important step, a simple fix to ensure fundamental fairness to American workers,” Mr Obama said on the occasion.

Mr Obama was flanked by key women lawmakers including the House of Representatives, Ms Nancy Pelosi, eminent women who worked for passage of the Bill and the First Lady, Ms Michelle Obama.

“In signing this Bill today, I intend to send a clear message - that making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone,” Mr Obama said at the bill signing ceremony.

“That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal but bad for business to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability,” he said.

Equal pay isn't just an economic issue for millions of Americans and their families, but also for America's fundamental ideals, he argued. Equal pay is by no means just a women's issue; it's a family issue, he said.

“It's about parents who find themselves with less money for tuition or child care; couples who wind up with less to retire on; households where, when one breadwinner is paid less than she deserves, that's the difference between affording the mortgage or not; between keeping the heat on, or paying the doctor's bills or not,” Mr Obama said. - PTI

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