3 February 2014

Time for Govt to address gender pay gap

The Government needs to step up and commit to pay equity, Green Party women’s spokesperson Jan Logie said today.

Today the Court of Appeal is hearing the first day of the appeal against the Employment Court’s ruling that the low pay of women in the aged-care industry amounts to gender discrimination.

“As such a huge employer of low paid women, the Government has the responsibility to pay them what they deserve,” said Ms Logie.

“The Government is responsible for the low pay of many women through low contract rates for jobs like aged care, community work, cleaning, teachers’ aid and many clerical jobs.

“Women workers have been subsidising the Government for too long through their labour and dedication to those they care for.

“We need wider political support to achieve pay equity; this is a basic human rights issue – like marriage equality.

“Last week’s United Nations draft Outcome Report of NZ’s second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) included several specific recommendations from countries around the world to address pay inequality in New Zealand.

“The judgement of the original Employment Court case pointed out that the argument used by proponents of slavery was that the cost of abolition was too high, but it was the right thing to do and so is committing to pay equity.”

ENDS

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