08 March 2007

Pay DVD Useful Resource for Women

"With the gender pay gap hovering at 13%, at current progress we are still many years away from true pay and employment equity for women," CTU vice president Helen Kelly said.

Marking International Working Women's Day today, the Council of Trade Unions will launch a new DVD resource on Pay and Employment Equity at an event in Wellington this evening.

"Last year's figures showing the gender pay gap coming down from 16% to 13% were encouraging," Helen Kelly said.

"The Pay and Employment Equity reviews being rolled out in the pubic service, education and health sectors this year should mean the gap will come down further in coming years."

"There is clearly more to be done though, and there is further scope to involve the private sector in this work," she said.

"The gender pay gap persists because of problems such as occupational segregation, undervaluing of work primarily done by women and discrimination, and the best way for working women to address that is by getting involved with their union."

"The DVD is a fun and informative way of getting up to speed on Pay and Employment Equity issues, and we produced it to promote further discussion and action. It is just part of the work many unions are doing to bring down the gender pay between men and women," Helen Kelly said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media