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Equity Issues
Pay Equity Action Week
20 September 2004
Public Services International has nominated 4th to the 8th October as Pay Equity International Week. We urge women members to raise the awareness of pay equity and to celebrate the work of women and their trade unions in improving the wages and conditions of women
The CPSU-SPSF group sees Pay Equity International Action Week as having two objectives. Firstly to celebrate the past achievements of women and their unions in fighting for pay equity and secondly to recognize that the struggle continues.
It is perplexing that in 2004 we still have to fight for pay equity and gender equality in the workforce. Women's wages are still only about 83 per cent of men's wages. Women are still located in the lower and middle wage earning groups, they are only 25 per cent of managers, about 70 per cent of the female public sector workforce earns under $40,000.00. Average superannuation for women is half that of men's and by retirement time they are less financially secure and more reliant on the aged pension. It is estimated that a 20 per cent wage gap over a life- time of earnings equates to a loss of about $500,000.
While these basic facts on the workforce are depressing we also must celebrate our achievements. Australian women unionists have fought long and hard over the last century for equal pay and gender equality in the workforce. Equal pay didn't just appear on the agenda in the late sixties and early seventies, women unionists have argued for equal pay since the inception of the arbitration system. Public sector unions have campaigned and won benefits in such areas as paid maternity leave, parental leave, carer's leave, regulated part-time employment and superannuation. Over recent years public sectors unions have participated in pay equity inquiries in the various States and in taking pay equity cases to the Industrial Commissions. The CPSU-SPSF has also given assistance to other trade unions and women's groups pursuing pay equity cases.
The taking of pay equity cases in the various State and Federal industrial tribunals has been a successful strategy for pursuing pay equity. The New South Wales Equity Principles Test Case and the subsequent Public Service Association's Librarians Case has provided a significant means of having women's work properly valued and remunerated. These Cases have had a substantial flow-on effect to other States and unions with Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria all conducting inquires into pay equity. Increasing paid maternity leave and parental leave benefits for our members remain high on our bargaining agenda.
The CPSU-SPSF group continues to work for pay equity in both the State and Federal industrial systems. We recognise the importance of organizing around issues that benefit women workers and in lobbying governments to improve equal pay legislation. Unfortunately the current Federal Government's policies and legislation have had a detrimental impact on women workers and the Workplace Relations Act makes the taking of Equal Remuneration Cases difficult. We see the Australian Labor Party's policy to fund pay equity cases to be a positive step
We know that women in unions do better than women in unorganized sectors. We must remain organized and continue to fight for pay equity through collective means.
National and international solidarity and collective action is the best means to achieve gender equality in the workforce.
Resources:
For more information see "Pay Equity Now!" in the Public Services International newsletter (pdf File)
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