September 1 2009 is Equal Pay Day

On average, it takes women 14 months to earn the same amount men earn in 12 months.  Working from the financial year on 1^st July, 1 September commemorates the day when women’s earnings “catch up”.

Significant Gender Pay Gap exists for Australian Working Women

Whilst it has been nearly 40 years since women were officially granted equal pay for equal work by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, a significant gender gap remains for women.

·         Women in full time paid work earn 17% less than men;

·         Majority of women graduates earn $2000 less than male graduates and $7400 less by the fifth year after graduation; 

·         Fewer than 2% of Australian Security Exchange (ASX) 200 Companies have a female chief executive officer and only 1 in 12 board directors are women; and

·         Women retire with less than half the amount of superannuation savings compared to men.

Pay Inequity across the Non-Government Sector

In the non-government sector, there is significant discrepancy between the wages and conditions of early childhood teachers working in long day care centres compared to those of their colleagues working in school settings. In some of our branches, qualified early childhood teachers in some childcare centres earn up to 20% less than their teachers in school settings.

More broadly, access to reasonable part time and job share arrangements and the attainment of paid maternity leave entitlements and suitable return to work provisions are currently only achieved where there is strong member strength in collective bargaining.

This lack of access to flexible work arrangements presents a barrier for women to balance their work and family life while seeking to progress their career.

The IEUA believes that this inequity is not acceptable in modern Australia.

The IEUA supports the Equal Pay Alliance established by the ACTU to promote equal pay and employment opportunities for Australian women.  Together, Unions and community organisations will campaign and lobby the Federal Government and employers for:

·         Flexible work arrangements in workplaces for women and men with caring responsibilities;

·         Improved quality, accessible and affordable childcare including after school hours care;

·         Improved equal employment opportunity practices in workplaces;

·         Meaningful reporting by employers of equal pay and employment opportunities;

·         A greater role for government agencies in auditing, promoting and implementing equal pay and employment opportunity programs in workplaces; and

·         Proper valuation and funding of wages and conditions for work traditionally carried out by women.

The building of a fairer, more equitable society is the responsibility of government, community, employers and unions. By achieving these reforms, women workers will no longer need to work the extra two months in future years to achieve equal pay.