Working mothers are still being underpaid in New Zealand and will continue to be until we have a government that’s willing to take decisive action on gender pay equity, the Green Party said today.
Statistics New Zealand released new figures today which show that the pay gap between mothers and fathers in New Zealand is 17 percent.
“Women have been underpaid for far too long, and we need a strong government that prioritises women getting a fair deal,” Green Party women’s spokesperson Jan Logie said.
“We can fix the gender pay imbalance in this country and ensure that every woman is paid what she’s worth, but we need a real commitment from the Government to make it happen.
“I have a bill in the ballot to ensure that employers proactively produce a transparent pay gap index for their company. When people understand how the gender pay gap affects their own workplace, they can work to secure fair pay.
“When women are underpaid, it has a real impact on their partners and children, and the life they’re able to create together.
The Government also announced today that the Joint Working Group on Pay Equity principles will now be applied for the first time in pay claims.
“It’s great news that work on the principles of pay equity are progressing. But Kristine Bartlett has been waiting since October 2015 for the Government to make an offer of better pay after winning successive court cases,” Ms Logie said.
“The time has come for the Government to stop sitting on its hands and pay deserving women like Kristine Bartlett more.
“Any new pay equity legislation needs to be introduced before the election so that voters can see what the National Government stands for.
“The Government will need to financially prepare itself to pay tens of thousands of women more in this year’s Budget, as women have already been waiting too long.
“We can end this pay imbalance that disadvantages mothers, but we need strong Government action,” Ms Logie said.
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