PSA solves equal pay - give women more time!

An extra hour a day, or an extra month a year, is all Kiwi women need to close the gender pay gap, and the PSA's "Office Stationery for Working Women" kit could help them earn the same as their male colleagues.

The kits, released today and sent to prominent women across Aotearoa, include a clock with an extra hour and a 13 month diary.

PSA national secretary, Erin Polaczuk, said the kits are a tongue-in-cheek solution to a very serious problem.

"All we need to do to fix pay discrimination in Aotearoa is ensure women have an extra hour a day, or an extra month a year," she says.

"If the idea upsets you, it should.

"Women and men should be paid the same for the same number of hours worked, because equal pay is a human right"

"Our Worth 100% campaign has inspired women within and beyond the union movement to speak out in support of equal pay.

"These kits mean to keep that agenda front of mind."

Actress and comedian Jaquie Brown was the first woman to receive a kit and said, for her, equal pay for women was a no-brainer.

"It's crazy that in New Zealand, in 2017, we’re still having this debate.

"Sometimes, it takes a bit of humour to tackle a really serious issue."

"While we have a supportive government ready to stand up for women’s rights to fair and equal treatment, when it comes to equal pay we’ve still got a way to go," Erin Polaczuk said.

"This kit is a visual reminder that when it comes to fairness at work, we need all hands on deck."

You can show your support for equal pay in New Zealand, by signing your name to an open letter to the government at together.org.nz/worth100.

NOTES FOR EDITORS
Currently women in New Zealand earn 12% less on average than men doing the same job. The government is one of the worst offenders, with some gender pay gaps in the state services being over 35%. You can read a report on the Public Service Gender Gap, in more detail here: https://www.ssc.govt.nz/sites/all/files/GenderPayGap2015.pdf

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