53 years since the Equal Pay Act 1972 was passed, NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges is calling on political parties to reverse the recent changes to the Act that undermine women’s pay equity rights.
On 6 May, the National-led Government announced sweeping changes to the Equal Pay Act, gutting pay equity. Active claims were cancelled, and barriers were raised for future claims – impacting over 350,000 people.
“The Equal Pay Act recognises a simple truth: women deserve equal pay for work of equal value. It’s shameful that the Government has undermined that,” said NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges.
“The Act was born from the courage and solidarity of working women and their unions who refused to accept inequality.
“We are being taken backwards by the Government. Women’s hard-won rights are being sacrificed to fund tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies.
“Māori women and Pasifika people are effectively working for free for the rest of the year because of persistent gender and ethnic pay gaps, with all women working for free from the 30th of November—that’s a national shame.
“To dismantle decades of progress overnight without consultation is a disgrace. It was a slap in the face for New Zealand women who have been fighting for equality for generations.
“We are calling on political parties to commit to reversing the Equal Pay Act changes, restoring pay equity claims and fully funding settlements,” says Ansell-Bridges.