Pay equity coalition welcomes new Equal Pay Bill
The Pay Equity Challenge, a coalition of business and community groups and unions, is welcoming Catherine Delahunty's
new Equal Pay Bill as an effective way of dealing to the wage gap between men's and women's pay.
"This bill modernises our approach to equal pay, and will help to give women the information they need to ensure that
they are being paid fairly," said coalition spokesperson Rebecca Matthews.
"Our Equal Pay legislation is 40 years old, and was written for that time. Times have changed. We need to break down the
culture of secrecy that has developed around pay which means that most women and their unions find it difficult to
access information and address unfairness in pay."
Matthews welcomed Catherine Delahunty's leadership on the 12.75% gender pay gap, particularly in light of the
government's lack of action on pay equity.
"Catherine has drafted a bill that all political parties can support. It modernises equal pay legislation, and gives
employees transparency and information about how men and women are paid," said Matthews.
The Coalition intends to talk to all political parties about the need for a political solution to the ongoing disparity
between men and women's pay, and the need for greater accountability for employers to demonstrate that they are meeting
reasonable obligations to pay fairly.
ENDS