CTU President Richard Wagstaff is pleased that that the recommendations of the Pay Equity Joint Working Group have emerged in the drafting of new pay equity legislation.

"The Council of Trade Unions was concerned that the current Equal Pay Amendment Bill had strayed from the agreed principles set out by the tripartite Pay Equity Joint Working Group. The Working Group had unanimously recommended a pathway to Government about the best way forward to fairly and meaningfully provide an appropriate legal framework for future pay equity claims and settlements."

"A lot of work needed to go into improving the Bill and, with COVID interrupting the legislative agenda, we were concerned that there might not have been enough time to get this legislation passed."

"But it now it looks as though the Government has worked hard to get things done in time to deliver a very significant legislative framework for working women. This legislation will assist in resolving the problem of people being undervalued because of their gender."

"Ensuring that pay equity is addressed has been a key issue for this government. We are delighted that together, we are on the verge of making real progress to ensure that, regardless of gender, people are paid fairly for the work they do," Wagstaff said.

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