Closing the Gender Pay Gap: How Advance Union Works in Partnership with Santander to Drive Fairness

At Advance Union, we believe that fairness, opportunity, and equality must be at the heart of every workplace. Santander’s most recent Gender Pay Gap Report shows that while some progress has been made over the years, the 2025 gender pay gap has widened, with both mean and median gaps increasing. For our members, this isn’t just a statistic — it reflects the real barriers many women still face in developing and progressing their careers.

Tackling the gender pay gap requires long-term commitment, honest conversations, and meaningful action. That is why Advance Union works in partnership with Santander, using our collective influence to make sure members’ voices are heard and that progress is both genuine and measurable.

Why the Gender Pay Gap Matters

The gender pay gap shines a light on:

  • Differences in senior representation
  • Progression barriers faced disproportionately by women
  • The impact of caring responsibilities
  • The need for equitable recruitment, development, and promotion practices

Santander’s own analysis shows that women remain underrepresented in senior roles, which is the biggest driver of the gap. As your union, we are committed to working collaboratively with Santander to address these systemic issues — not just acknowledge them. Santander has stated their commitment to tackling this challenge and we are pleased to welcome this commitment.

Working in Partnership: How Advance Union Supports Progress

Advance Union has a long-standing relationship with Santander built on constructive dialogue, transparency, and a shared commitment to fairness. While we will always challenge the organisation when needed, we also recognise the importance of working together to deliver sustainable change.

Here is how we are partnering with Santander to improve outcomes for our members:

Joint Focus on Reducing the Gender Pay Gap

We regularly meet with Santander’s senior leaders — including HR, Reward, and DEI specialists — to:

  • Review gender pay gap trends
  • Understand the drivers behind changes
  • Discuss progress against Santander’s commitments
  • Identify areas where additional action is needed

Through this partnership, we ensure that the union’s perspective is not only heard but actively influences decisions and priorities.

Championing Women’s Progression

Advance Union works with Santander to support and enhance initiatives that help women move into senior roles, including:

  • Leadership development programmes
  • Sponsorship and mentoring networks
  • Inclusive recruitment practices
  • Return‑to‑work and career continuity support

We advocate for policies that remove barriers and ensure that women can progress on an equal footing with men.

Strengthening Support for Parents and Carers

We know caring responsibilities disproportionately impact women’s careers. That’s why we collaborate with Santander to:

  • Review policies affecting working parents
  • Promote flexible working access
  • Support colleagues during maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
  • Ensure that career progression does not suffer after periods of leave

By working jointly, we help shape policies that reflect the realities faced by our members and support long‑term fairness.

Encouraging Transparency and Accountability

We work alongside Santander to promote greater openness around:

  • Promotion processes
  • Performance assessments
  • Pay and reward decisions
  • Senior-level gender representation

Our partnership allows us to ask the challenging questions on behalf of members — and push for clarity where it is most needed.

Creating a Culture of Inclusion and Listening

Advance Union regularly feeds member experiences, concerns, and ideas back into Santander through:

  • Structured consultation
  • DEI partnership forums
  • Reviews of organisational change
  • Direct engagement with senior decision-makers
  • Creating our own DEI campaigning group to create direct union policies

This ensures that colleague experience is central to discussions about progression, pay, and fairness.

Our Commitment as Your Union

Advance Union will continue working in partnership with Santander to ensure:

  • The gender pay gap is reduced year on year
  • Women have equal access to opportunities
  • Barriers to progression are removed
  • Policies reflect the needs of real employees
  • Change is long-term, measurable, and meaningful

Progress on gender equality benefits everyone — creating a workplace where talent is recognised, careers can thrive, and fairness is embedded into everyday practice.

 

Together, through genuine partnership and strong representation, we can drive the change our members deserve.  Why not get involved – our new DEI Working group (the first in our history) is starting to look at how the union can shape its own strategy to campaign for the best in class union, and employer by creating a truly inclusive workforce.  Interested -please contact  our DEI lead on your National Executive Committee, Arthur Lord on arthur@advance-union.org