08 March 2006
Working Women Recognised Today
Unions are highlighting the many thousands of working women in New Zealand whose work is undervalued and underpaid this
International Women's Day, CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont said today.
"Far too many women are working on the minimum wage of $9.50 an hour," said Carol Beaumont. "When the minimum wage
increases on March 27 this year, Department of Labour figures show that 91,000 workers will get a pay rise, 61,000 of
whom are women."
"61,000 working women should not have to rely on the minimum wage increases to see a pay rise, and unions are
campaigning for justice in wages for working women," said Carol Beaumont.
"The CTU is backing the campaign for fair wages and a national collective agreement being launched in District Health
Boards today by the Service & Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU)," said Carol Beaumont. "Aged care workers start a new campaign today also, as
they send their payslips to the Prime Minister highlighting the rock bottom pay rates in aged care, through the NZ
Nurses Organisation and SWFU Fair Share in Aged Care campaign."
"Women in unions are part of an international movement of women also," said Carol Beaumont. "Today the international
trade union movement is launching phase two of the Unions for Women, Women for Unions campaign, which focuses on women
working in the informal economy and export processing zones, female migrant workers and young women workers."
"Internationally, unions are launching new initiatives to organise women and adopt polices to achieve gender equality in
the workplace, in unions and in society," said Carol Beaumont.
ENDS