Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Action on bank gender pay gap must begin at the bottom

FIRST Union today welcomed Westpac’s public admission of the significant gender pay gap in its workforce and reiterated its call for employers to work with unions to close this disparity, arguing that this work must begin at the bottom of the pay scales.

“It’s no secret that a number of New Zealand’s major employers have a guilty secret – they aren’t paying women fairly – and it’s because their entry-level customer service roles are done predominantly by women, lowering the bottom of the wage scale,” said Tali Williams, FIRST Union Secretary for Retail, Finance and Commerce.

“We applaud Westpac for their transparency and proactivity, and we hope other banks will follow suit and report publicly about gender-based wage disparities in their workplaces – it’s time customers and prospective employees know who they are supporting.”

“However, we would place much more emphasis on the cause of the gender pay gap being low wages for the lowest-paid workers, many of whom are women in customer service roles.”

“It’s been our focus in terms of both pay equity and equal pay, and Westpac’s admission that the gender pay gap is as much as 30% really confirms that structural inequality at the bottom is stymying progress at the top – on boardroom seats for women, for example.”

FIRST Union General Secretary Dennis Maga has today been in contact with Westpac CEO David McLean to congratulate the bank for their willingness to address the gender pay gap, and Mr McLean has accepted FIRST Union’s offer to work together imminently on the issue.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Businesses shouldn’t have to pay a lot of money for consultants to report on the issue,” says Ms Williams. “Public reporting should be required and enshrined in law.”

“Unions are already well-aware of the gender pay gap thanks to our members, and we’re always willing to work with employers to address this.”

“We’re thrilled that Westpac are committed to eliminating their gender pay gap, and we look forward to the oncoming discussions about lifting the wages of the lowest-paid workers.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.