Alliance MP Liz Gordon welcomes the publication of the NZVCC Graduate Destinations Report and says that it demonstrates the need for progress on pay equity.

"It has to be asked why there is a gender pay gap from the day women first go to work. The Jurassic justifications that women lack the skills and qualifications of men no longer hold any weight, and this survey shows this," said Liz Gordon.

"Its just got to be a case of simple discrimination." Liz Gordon has been promoting a private members bill to strengthen the role of the State Services Commissioner in promoting equal employment opportunities. She hopes that her bill will be drawn from the ballot this year.

The University Graduate Destinations report, published by the New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committee shows that while male graduates earn an average of almost $40,000, female graduates only get just over $35,000.

"With the majority of graduates likely to have significant student loans, lower pay will mean that women will take longer to pay off their loans than men. As a result women will end up paying more interest charges and in effect, be paying more for their university education than men.

"Last year I conducted a survey that showed that the average pay of men employed in government departments was $54,815, while the average pay of women employed in these same departments was only $41,619. I hope to have the results for this year available soon.

"New Zealand is in dire need of up to date equal pay legislation in the state sector. One of the tragic hidden effects of the Employment Contracts Act was that it made the Government Service Equal Pay Act of 1960 effectively redundant. It is about time that the State Sector Act caught up with the times," said Liz Gordon.

Ends

© Scoop Media