Hon Paula Bennett

Minister of State Services

Hon Michael Woodhouse

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

7 June 2016 Media Statement
Pay equity working group reports back

The Joint Working Group on Pay Equity Principles has reported back to the Government with a number of recommendations, State Services Minister Paula Bennett and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse say.

The Joint Working Group was tasked with recommending principles for dealing with pay equity claims under the Equal Pay Act.

“I would like to thank the Joint Working Group members for their commitment to improving our pay equity laws,” Mrs Bennett says.

“It is important that the process for addressing pay equity claims is clear and workable for all parties.”

The Joint Working Group reported back with a number of recommendations, including:

• A set of principles to provide guidance to employers and employees in implementing pay equity, including criteria for considering whether a claim has merit as a pay equity claim and high-level guidance on how pay equity rates are established.

• A process for employers and employees to follow to address pay equity, which sets out a bargaining process based on the Employment Relations Act framework

“The Government will now consider the Joint Working Group’s recommendations and expects to respond to them shortly,” Mr Woodhouse says.

“This is a very important issue, and while a lot of progress has been made through this process, it’s important we take the time to get it right.”

The working group of union, business and government representatives was established in October last year to give Ministers recommendations on how to achieve pay equity consistent with New Zealand’s employment relations framework and a well-functioning labour market.

More information on the Joint Working Group can be found at http://www.ssc.govt.nz/pay-equity-working-group.

ENDS

© Scoop Media