Census excites calls for pay equity

By KEVIN TAYLOR

The union movement says new Census figures out yesterday show the need for a pay-equity system.

Labour plans to research pay equity and a Cabinet committee yesterday approved the release of a discussion paper on the issue on July 8 for public consultation.

The paper by the Ministry of Women's Affairs suggests policy tools for "ensuring equal pay for work of equal value".

The Council of Trade Unions yesterday pledged support for a pay-equity system after Census figures showed women's median income in the year to March 2001 was $14,500, $10,400 less than men's median income.

CTU secretary Paul Goulter said there were many reasons for the income of women being lower than that of men, despite the fact that young women were better educated.

Female workers still dominated casual and part-time work, he said.

Although the Government's introduction of paid parental leave would help women to maintain job continuity, they still grappled with work-life issues such as the need for more flexible hours and childcare.

Goulter said women's income was lower because female-dominated areas such as health, education and community services were under-valued.

A Statistics New Zealand survey last year showed women earned 84 per cent of men's average hourly earnings. Maori women earned 74 per cent and Pacific Island women 70 per cent.

"Clearly we need an effective pay-equity system to address these issues," Goulter said.

In 1990, Labour introduced pay-equity legislation, which was subsequently axed by the incoming National Government.

David Carter, finance spokesman for National, said the party supported equal pay for equal work.

But businesses did not need a "faceless bureaucrat" in Wellington determining that cafeteria workers do the same work as builders and, therefore, should be paid the same.

"The next thing will be employers having to meet quotas or targets based on gender.

"New Zealand women would be made to feel like second-class citizens by having quotas imposed on them."

Carter said employment should simply be on the basis of the best person for the job.

"Employers and employees need to be free to determine pay and conditions, not have these imposed on them."