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Women will continue to fight for pay equity
09 Mar 2009
“The government’s axing of investigations aimed at closing pay gaps for women workers is a setback, but the battle to achieve pay equity for women will continue,” says Public Service Association National Secretary Brenda Pilott.
Speaking at a breakfast to mark International Women’s Day – March 8 – Brenda Pilott said the women of New Zealand will continue to fight to close the pay gap that exists between men and women.
For every $1 earned by men in New Zealand, women earn just 88 cents or 12 per cent less.
“This long-standing discrimination against women has to be addressed,” says Brenda Pilott.
“This is why the government’s axing of pay investigations aimed at closing pay gaps affecting women social workers at Child Youth and Family and support workers in schools is unacceptable.’’
A pay and employment equity review showed that men employed at CYF earn 9.5% more than CYF social workers, 80% of whom are women.
“Pulling the plug on the investigation to address this pay gap is a slap in the face for CYF social workers,” says Brenda Pilott.
“There’s no justification for paying any group of workers less because they are women.”
“The fight to end this discrimination is not over and the PSA will be lending its support to any legal, industrial or community action that is taken to achieve pay equity for women,” says Brenda Pilott.
For further comment call PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott 027 430 6016
Media contact: Nick Hirst 04 917-2028, 027 600-5498
Public Service Association
