Most people would be appalled to know how little some women in important jobs like special education are earning, the Chair of the EEO Trust, Michael Barnett, told the roundtable on pay and employment equity held at the Human Rights Commission.
“New Zealanders are fair minded people - most would be shocked to know that staff supporting children with disabilities or social workers working with some of our most disadvantaged kids earn barely above the minimum wage”, Michael Barnett said. “We now have enough information on the gender pay gap to know this is wrong, and it’s time to start telling the stories about these people and what they earn so that Kiwis get behind a campaign for pay equity.”
The private and public sectors, unions, NGOs and community organisations all need to get behind a campaign to build support for fairness in pay, he said, to general agreement from delegates to the roundtable.
Helen Kelly, President of the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) said a campaign was already underway, and building momentum.
“It’s gone from a dribble to a flood of activity”, she said. “Public pressure on pay equity is building, and the Government will be starting to feel it - though we know there will be no short-term fix.”
Roundtable delegates applauded the CTU’s day of action where they not only demonstrated but organized a 12% discount for women in a number of Wellington retail stores. The 12% represents the average pay gap between men and women. Helen Kelly said this would be extended and become an annual event to focus public attention on the difference between men’s and women’s wages. She also told delegates of the CTU plans for another day of action in November, on the day when precisely 12% of the year remains.