The implication that women work for pin money and can manage on a worse pension, presumably by relying on husbands, riles. But even more galling for women is that few government ministers seem to even appreciate the value of the work they do.

In February 2013 Frances O'Grady was assessed as the 11th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She was a fan of drama and by the age of 17 was also learning about the world of work. Her grandfather was a founder member of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union and her father was a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Cowley.