As the fiftieth anniversary of the Equal Pay Act approaches, MindTheGap is calling on the Government to commit to adressing pay inequity. Photo / NZME
As the fiftieth anniversary of the Equal Pay Act approaches, MindTheGap is calling on the Government to commit to adressing pay inequity. Photo / NZME
A campaign group is demanding the Government address gender pay gaps ahead of the anniversary of the law which made it illegal to pay men more than women for the same work.
MindTheGap said the law lacked "any real penalty" for employers who did not comply.
Two women who fought for equal pay legislation 50 years ago are demanding that the Government "make a public commitment" to address the inequity.
The Equal Pay Act was passed on October 20, 1972, but MindTheGap co-founder Jo Cribb said, "50 years later people are still not being paid fairly in New Zealand".
Cribb said a Pasifika woman would make 75 cents to every dollar a Pākehā man earnt.
"We call on the Government to publicly commit to introducing mandatory pay gap reporting."
The Ministry for Women Manatū Wāhine reported a 9.2 per cent gap between men's and women's median hourly pay in 2022.
Women's advocates are calling on the Government to address pay gaps before the anniversary of the legislation banning them. Photo / Supplied.
Cribb said: "It's outrageous that an entire half a century after New Zealanders fought for equal pay, large sections of our communities are not being paid fairly or equally. Every day the Government doesn't act is another day where families have less money.
"The Government has said it is looking at addressing pay gaps but hasn't committed to a timeframe. If there was ever a time to honour the good work done by those pioneers of the Equal Pay legislation it is now."
Rae Julian, the former Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity (CEPO) Secretary and Human Rights Commissioner, said campaigners thought they'd achieved equal pay when the legislation was passed.
"It seemed that equality had been attained [after] a concerted effort of 12 years by women's organisations, trade unions and a specially established group CEPO.
"Years later it was obvious that gender equality was still far off.
"Women's average earnings are more than 16 per cent lower than those of men and the gap for Māori and Pasifika women even larger," Julian said.
"Discrimination was a major factor. Jobs performed mainly by women attracted lower pay despite the comparable skills, qualifications and experience brought to mainly male and mainly female work."
Sue Kedgley, a women's advocate, said hopes were "quickly dashed" after an initial elation at the passing of the Equal Pay Act 50 years ago.
Sue Kedgley, women's advocate, said her "hopes were dashed" as she realised equal pay legislation she had fought for "lacked teeth". Photo / NZME
"Naively we assumed that equal pay for women would be implemented as soon as the legislation came into force, but it became obvious that the Equal Pay Act lacked teeth.
"Surely, the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Equal Pay Act in October this year would be an ideal time to put an end to 50 years of foot-dragging, by introducing a new law that would make it mandatory for all organisations to publicly report their gender pay gap each year so that everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand is paid fairly for their work," Kedgley said.
