Sister act
Sir: Sarah Vine's 'Don't upset "the Sisters" (22 September) omitted some key points. Concerning the pay gap, research has shown that women simply do not ask for the same pay their male counterparts request at interview time, or throughout their career. No managers in their right minds would pay someone more than they demanded.
Vine says nothing about the details of maternity leave that the majority of women will have taken. Childless women can be particularly vociferous in their criticism of their mothering colleagues often looking for time off and not seeing that someone has to do the work they leave undone. Pay scales consider risk factors in all employees, and it is state legislation — often demanding that the mother will have the very same job awaiting her nine months after she takes maternity leave — that is detrimental to the survival of the company.
Finally, Vine is absolutely right to point out the gender-related unfairness in the state pension system. However, this is a problem of socialised pensions systems, and nothing to do with one's present private-sector manager.
John Lalor Dublin, Ireland
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