Trump’s Move to Scrap Pay Data Initiative Represents Attack on US Workers

The decision by the administration of President Donald Trump to halt an equal pay initiative represents an attack on US workers, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The decision by the administration of President Donald Trump to halt an equal pay initiative represents an attack on US workers, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said on Wednesday.

"The decision to scrap the initiative is an attack on our nation’s workers. Instead of taking common sense steps to promote equal pay for all, the administration sided with those in the business lobby most committed to preserving the status quo," ACLU Political Director Faiz Shakir said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration halted an initiative requiring employers to report to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on how they pay their workers, broken down by gender, race and ethnicity.

The rule was put in place by former President Barack Obama in a bid to assess the pay gap at US companies.

The ACLU's Shakir said the Trump administration's decision to scrap the rule "is only the latest evidence that it has no interest in rooting out gender and racial inequality in the workplace."

The initiative had been set to go into effect in March 2018 before it was scrapped.