Pay Equity
The Pay Equity Challenge
The Pay Equity Challenge has been laid down to this Government to tell us what their plans are for closing the gender pay gap. We challenge them to tell us how they are going to work with employers and unions across both public and private sectors to reduce the pay gap.
The Pay Equity Challenge is also about creating a broad, apolitical coalition of community, employer, union, and academic groups who are committed to putting pay equity issues back on the Government’s, and New Zealand’s, agenda.
Add your voice to the Pay Equity Challenge: email your support to katesheppardnz@gmail.com, or join the Pay Equity Challenge group on Facebook.
If you represent an organisation which would like to join the Pay Equity coalition, please contact Eileen Brown at the NZCTU on (04) 3851334 ext 813, or eileenb@nzctu.org.nz.
What's new?
See the new Pay Equity Challenge Coalition website at http://payequity.wordpress.com/
NO STONE UNTURNED - 30 June 2010
The Pay Equity Challenge Coalition marked the first anniversary of the axing of the Pay and Employment Equity Unit today with a clear message to the Minister of Womens Affairs – to make good the promise she made last year to “leave no stone unturned in trying to close the pay gap.”
Hard hats, high-vis vests and work boots were the order of the day as hard-working rock lifters turned over five large stones on Parliament grounds to reveal five solutions to the gender pay gap:
•Pay Equity legislation
•Increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour
•Guaranteed access to high quality early childhood education
•Practical support for employers and unions to implement pay and employment equity
•Implement pay and employment equity reviews and remove the ban on pay investigations.
Pay Equity Challenge Coalition spokesperson Angela McLeod said she expected Womens Affairs Minister Pansy Wong would be thrilled that all the hard work had been done for her, and the Coalition looked forward to these solutions being actioned.
Check the Pay Equity Coalition blog for video clips of Pansy Wong answering questions in Parliament about which stones she has been looking under.
Photographs from the demo at Parliament.
RED BAG DAY - 18 February 2010
Red Bag Day, established in 1988, draws national and international attention to the wage disparity between women and men and women of colour. The red bag theme symbolizes how far women are “in the red” with their pay. The Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW) NZ led this awareness raising day for the Pay Equity Challenge Coalition. See the Pay Equity Challenge blog for details.
PAY EQUITY DEBATE STILL RAGING
TVNZ One News 14 December 2009 - including interviews with Angela McLeod and Celia Briar. Watch the video.
WOMEN – WORKING FOR FREE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Women subsidise the economy by nearly $4 billion a year!
New Zealand women earn at least 12% less (in average hourly earnings) than men. It’s as if from 18 November until the end of the year women are working for free.
Nearly 1 million people miss out on almost $4,000 million in wages every year – just because they are women.
Members of the Pay Equity Coalition (disguised as debt collectors) today unveiled a giant invoice for $4billion, made out to the Minister of Women’s Affairs, the Minister of Labour and Business New Zealand. Payment can be made by making a public commitment to ending gender pay inequity – or in cash.
Click on the invoice on the right for more info.
Read the full press release.
Pay Equi-tea marks Suffrage Day - September 18
Pay equity campaigners mark suffrage day outside Parliament - Video
TV3
Campaigners for pay equity launched their coalition and marked suffrage day on the steps of Parliament today. - read full story
Gender pay disparities highlighted
Otago Daily Times
The group held a morning tea outside the Dunedin Railway Station as part of Pay Equity Challenge Coalition protests. Mrs Alexander's cake is missing 12%
Watch a YouTube clip of the Pay Equity rally on 30 June
Read CTU President Helen Kelly in the Dominion Post, 13 July 2009 PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott in the Dominion Post 14 July 2009
1 July 2009
You showed them it mattered! Thanks to all 300+ of you who turned out in the freezing cold on Tuesday 30 June to demand action on pay equity from the Government.
• Video news report from TV3 • Breakfast on One (50 seconds in) • Front page of the Dominion Post (or pdf) • Photos of the Wellington rally (more here) • Photos of the Auckland rally • YouTube clip of rally
Thanks to all our Pay Equity coalition partners:
• Womens’ Studies Association • NZUSA • Business and Professional Women of NZ • Workplace Wellbeing Project • Working Women’s Resource Centre • National Network of Stopping Violence Services • Coalition for Equal Value for Equal Pay (CEVEP) • Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) • Rural Women NZ • CTU • PSA • NZEI • PPTA • NZNO • TEU • EPMU • SFWU • NDU • DWU • Finsec • Unite • MUNZ • CANZ •
And thanks to all the retailers who took part in the promotion offering 12% discounts to women on the day:
• Andrea Moore,Old Bank Arcade • Unity Books, 57 Willis Street • Hair Essentials, The Grand Arcade,Willis St • Flowers on Featherston, 142 Featherston Street • Midnight Espresso, 178 Cuba Street • Café Neo, 132 Willis Street • Backbencher Pub and Café, 34 Molesworth Street • Deluxe Cafe, 10 Kent Terrace • Wineseeker, 86-96 Victoria Street • Frutti, 176 Cuba St • Iko Iko, 118 Cuba Mall • Starfish, 128 Willis Street • Tempest, 160 Cuba Street • and also Astoria Cafe, Midland Park, Lambton Quay for donating coffee vouchers to low-paid teaching support staff •
Please reward these businesses with your custom next time you are in town - they deserve it!
What next?
Just because the rally has happened doesn't mean it's all gone quiet - the Pay Equity Challenge has only just begun! Further events are planned and we will keep up pressure on the Government until we see some real action.
If you want to stay informed or get involved follow the Facebook links above, or if your organisation wants to be part of the coalition supporting the Pay Equity Challenge, contact Eileen Brown at the NZCTU on (04) 3851334 ext 813, or eileenb@nzctu.org.nz.
Further information:
What is the Pay Equity Challenge?
Helen Kelly: Speech to International Labour Organisation, 11 June 2009
