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Settlement of the first pay-equity agreement in the health sector is hugely significant, delivering pay rises of thousands of dollars for many hospital administration and clerical workers, Health Minister Andrew Little says.

“There is no place in 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand for 1950s attitudes to work predominantly carried out by women,” Andrew Little said.

“This Government is committed to paying workers fairly. That’s why in 2020 we changed the Equal Pay Act to give it real teeth. This settlement is a direct result of that.

“Negotiating pay-equity agreements can be challenging, involving complicated processes to establish how much pay rates are affected by the fact that most of the people working in jobs are women.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in getting this historic agreement over the line, and look forward to more.”

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