News

Pay Equity Enters Campaign Mode

By Naomi Steer

Women's organisations and the NSW Labor Council have launched a Christmas campaign calling on the NSW government to implement the NSW Pay Equity Inquiry's findings and recommendations to address the undervaluation of work done by women.

As a first step in the campaign , an information leaflet will be distributed in the community and in workplaces calling on pay equity supporters to start lobbying the government to bring about the necessary changes in legislation.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Labor Council Secretary Michael Costa reaffirmed his organisations commitment to achieving changes to the NSW Industrial Relations Act to achieve pay equity in NSW.

The campaign is in response to what many women see as unnecessary delays in implementing the report's main recommendations. The Pay Equity report was released on Christmas eve last year . Almost one year later women are still no closer to getting the remedies that the Commission set out in its report.

Why the delay? Part of the blame must fall squarely at the feet of the employer organisations who argue that there is no need for the solutions set out in the report despite the overwhelming evidence that the current system is not working. In addition they are now objecting to the Commission's own report being used as evidence in Labor Council's case currently before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to introduce the changes that the report recommended. This means in effect retuning the inquiry at a significant cost to the employers, Labor Council and most importantly the government.

The NSW government has also been slow in delivering on its promise to enact the legislative amendments the Inquiry said were necessary to advance pay equity in NSW.

The Inquiry concluded that the NSW Act needed to be amended to deal with the following areas:

� clarifying the distinction in the Act between remedies for undervaluation and those for discrimination

� ensuring that the references to remuneration in the Act encompass not only earnings derived from awards but earnings outside the awards systems

� amending the Act to ensure that the Commission considers pay equity when it exercises any of its function

� amending the Act to allow the President of the Anti Discrimination Board to refer matters arising under the Anti Discrimination Act 1977.

Implementation of these legislative proposals would mean that women might actually start to receive the benefits of the decision before the next millennium ie 3001!

Anyone interested in being involved in the campaign should contact the Labor Council of NSW. In the meantime write to the Premier Bob Carr and your local member to let them know that you want pay equity now.

  View entire issue - print all of the articles!

  Issue 42 contents

»	What Price Aussie Jobs as Olympics Loom
»	TWU Activist Named Organiser of the Year
»	Unions Lock in New Years Eve Deals
»	'Scrooge' Destroys Staff Christmas
»	Rule Changes to Restructure Council
»	The Great Salary Rip-Off
»	George to Kick Start NSW IR Reforms?
»	Shaw Loses Key Advisers
»	More New Faces at the New ACTU
»	Reith Second Wave Not Beached Yet
»	Peace in the Gong
»	Workers Support Register Gathers Steam
»	Pay Equity Enters Campaign Mode
»	Union Aid Agency to Establish Dili Office
»	Job Vacancies at the LHMU

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Aquilina's Insult
»	Well Done 1999
»	US Union Site Worth a Look

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