DISABLED people are more than £2,100 a year worse off than non-disabled colleagues, with women facing a double whammy of discrimination at work, a committee heard.

Rhianydd Williams, of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Cymru, gave evidence to the Senedd’s equality committee as part of an inquiry on disability and employment.

Ms Williams told the committee that the umbrella body estimates the pay gap at £1.16 an hour or, based on a 35-hour working week, £2,111.20 a year.

Ms Williams said the difference is wider for women as she called for mandatory reporting of disability pay gap information and a greater focus on intersectionality.

She highlighted disability pay gap day on November 7, the day an average disabled worker effectively stops being paid for the rest of the year compared with a non-disabled colleague.

Jenny Rathbone, who chairs the equality committee, warned that disabled women face a “double whammy of discrimination” in the workplace.

Ms Williams, TUC Cymru’s equality and policy officer, said accessing reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 remains a major barrier.

She called for time limits as well as a passporting system to keep a live record of adjustments agreed between workers and employers.

Ms Williams said employers often have the final say on what is deemed reasonable and some do not budget for any adjustments.

She warned: “A lot of the time people will just leave the workplace: they’ll experience discrimination and they will leave.”

Ms Williams pointed to examples of branches submitting grievances to try to make sure basic facilities such as workplace toilets are available.

Asked about the Welsh Government’s disability rights taskforce, she said the pace of progress has been slow and she had hoped an action plan would be in place by now.

Dee Montague-Coast, engagement officer at the Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales charity, told the committee she often works in her pyjamas from her adjustable bed.

“In my previous workplaces, things like that would have been seen as totally unacceptable or ‘not quite right’,” she said. “So, I think as a wider society, we have a lot to do in terms of making experiences like mine just normalised.”

She called for a one-stop shop for support and a no-wrong-door approach, warning disabled people face a significant administrative burden in navigating various systems.

Ms Montague-Coast, who had a decades-long delay in getting a diagnosis for endometriosis, said people have been treated appallingly by the UK Government over the past 15 years.

She said: “I think there’s despair from disabled people, from disabled people’s organisations, … that they are still being left out of conversations … and decisions made about us.”

Ms Montague-Coast criticised the new Labour UK Government’s decision to continue reforms aimed at tightening work capability assessments.

She said: “We need to recognise that there are disabled people who cannot work and should not be expected to try to find work. But they’re going to be up to £5,000 worse off.”

Ms Montague-Coast added that society tends to view disability as inspirational or tragic, with little in between, warning that ‘hidden’ disabilities do not fit that narrow narrative.

Angharad Dean said she found employers were more accommodating of working from home during the pandemic but flexibility retreated as the world started opening up.

Ms Dean, a new mother who is registered blind and uses a guide dog, told the committee she has been searching for work but not getting anywhere.

She warned disabled people continue to be “weeded out” of application processes, leaving people too scared to disclose conditions.

She told the committee it took six months to receive support under Access to Work, a UK scheme that provides grants, in her previous job.

She told the meeting on November 11: “I was out of pocket for such a long time that my pay cheque wasn’t actually giving me any money at the end of the month.”

THE Welsh Government has announced plans to introduce new legislation to support the tourism industry and local communities across Wales. Two proposed Bills aim to give local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy and create a national register for visitor accommodation.

The announcement, made by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford and Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans, outlines a Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill set to be introduced to the Senedd on 25 November, pending approval.

Under the new proposal, local councils would have the authority to introduce a small levy for overnight stays in visitor accommodations, generating additional funds to support sustainable tourism initiatives. Each local authority would decide on the levy based on local needs, potentially easing the burden on resources in popular tourist areas.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said that the levy would be “a small charge,” intended to help councils manage the impacts of tourism and invest in community infrastructure. “This will support the long-term sustainability of our tourism industry,” he added, emphasising that the approach is in line with the Welsh Government’s commitment to collaborative tax development.

Consultations led by the Welsh Revenue Authority highlighted the importance of a registration system to support the proposed levy. Feedback from stakeholders led to the decision to include a national register of all visitor accommodation providers in Wales as part of the Bill, aimed at ensuring quality standards across the sector.

In addition to the visitor levy, the Welsh Government previously consulted on a licensing scheme for visitor accommodation to create a fair playing field for providers and ensure visitors receive high-standard services. The proposed registration scheme within the Bill marks a first step toward this broader licensing framework.

The second phase of the initiative will involve a separate Bill aimed at establishing a statutory licensing scheme for visitor accommodations. This would allow providers to demonstrate compliance with certain conditions, enhancing transparency and standards. Welsh Government representatives confirmed they would continue discussions with tourism stakeholders, accommodation providers, and local authorities as the proposals progress.

If approved, the Bills will mark a significant shift in how Wales manages its tourism sector, balancing visitor demand with community needs and sustainable practices.

A PETITION calling for the speed limit to be reduced through a north Pembrokeshire village to address “a serious safety concern for the community” is to be heard by councillors later this week.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, meeting on November 15, are to consider a petition, entitled Reduce the Speed Limit at Square and Compass, calling for a reduction of the current 50mph limit on that section of the A487 Fishguard-St Davids road.

The petition, which attracted 127 signatures on the council’s own website, was started by Emma Tannahill, and has met the threshold for committee debate.

It reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to reduce the current speed limit of 50 miles per hour on the main road (A487) through Square and Compass as it is a serious safety concern for the community. This road is home to many families with young children.

“A school bus from Croes Goch Primary School has a drop-off point on this stretch of road which further exacerbates the risk of accidents. In addition, there are young families that cycle to and from Croes Goch primary school along this road.

“This section of road also serves as a thoroughfare for traffic to and from Croes Goch petrol station and Torbant caravan-site. Both of which see a high volume of traffic and pedestrian activity. The high speeds of traffic on the main road is a risk to those coming in and out of these sites.

“In addition to the petrol station and caravan-site there is also a pub and public bus stop, both of which are adjacent to this 50 mile per hour section of road. Reducing the speed limit would significantly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclist.”

Committee members will hear the petition at their November meeting.

A further speed reduction call petition, by Emma Pritchard of Broadway Community Group, for the Pembrokeshire village of Broadway will also be heard by the committee.

That petition reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to reduce the speed limit through the community of Broadway.

“The road is shared with pedestrians, children, dogs, horses and cyclists. It is the ‘pavement’ through Broadway. The current speed limit is dangerous to those sharing the road with vehicles.”