The union representing library workers at Wellington City Council welcomes mayoral candidate Andrew Little’s commitment to pay equity, and encourages all local body candidates to make the same commitment.

"This is just the latest example of people across the political spectrum recognising the Government’s vandalism of the Equal Pay Act as an unjust attack on women," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary of the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"We call on the Council to fix the undervaluation it knows is there, and deliver pay equity to these workers."

"Local body candidates around the country have the chance to do the right thing and recognise the true value library workers bring to their communities."

"But this is no substitution for legislation that guarantees pay equity in full, with provisions for maintaining it. We will keep fighting to reverse the Government’s changes."

The PSA lodged the library workers’ pay equity claim with Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin councils in 2019.

Since then, the PSA worked with the councils in good faith to reach a settlement.

Library workers were one of the pay equity claims that was close to being settled before being cancelled by last month's amendments to the Equal Pay Act.

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