Labour’s women’s policy brings hope to low paid women workers

The union representing thousands of the lowest paid New Zealanders said today the Labour Party’s women’s policy will bring real hope to its members.

“For women workers, struggling to keep their heads above water, the single most important issue is low pay,” said Jill Ovens, spokesperson for the Service and Food Workers Union Ngā Ringa Tota.

Jill Ovens said the majority of the SFWU’s 23,000 workers were low paid women who struggled to survive. SFWU represents cleaners, caregivers in aged care, support workers, laundry workers and hospital service staff.

“The policies announced today by Labour’s Women’s Affairs spokesperson Carol Beaumont provide the direction our members need to begin to lift them from poverty,” she said.

“As women workers they need policy that values the important work they do and their contribution to the community,” she said.

“Women who are struggling to feed their families desperately need policies which will lift their family incomes. The first thing low paid women workers need is an immediate lift in the minimum wage to $15 an hour,” she said.

Jill Ovens said Labour’s commitment to develop legislation to make equal pay a reality was good news for all women workers.

“Successive National governments have made it a priority to put the boot into pay equity,” she said. “In 1990 they repealed pay equity law and the current National-led government axed the pay and employment equity unit, whose work was aimed at closing the gender pay gap. Under National the pay gap is widening and it is our low paid members who are bearing the brunt of this.

“Although the gender pay in New Zealand is currently 13%, up from 12.6% last year, for many of our members it is much wider. The gap between Pacific women workers and European males’ hourly rates is 24%.”

Jill Ovens said other commitments, such as providing greater job security by scrapping the 90-day fire at will law and recognising the caring commitments of working women and the need for greater flexibility would also be warmly welcomed by SFWU members.

ENDS

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