New Zealand women today are earning just $22 a week more than the national average weekly earnings in 1970, the Green Party has revealed.
“It feels like we’re stuck in a bad episode of Mad Men – Kiwi women aren’t getting paid what they deserve and we’ve got a long way to go until we reach pay equity,” said Green Party spokesperson for women Jan Logie.
“Adjusted for inflation, New Zealanders were earning $770 a week in 1970; in Q1 2015 Kiwi women earned $792 a week.
“Make no mistake about it, we are living in a pay equity time warp.
“With the Budget coming up there is an opportunity for John Key to reverse his Government’s do-nothing approach to pay equity, and show Kiwi women he values their contributions to the economy.
“In 2009, the National Government scrapped the Labour Department’s Pay and Employment Equity unit, which was working on remedying the pay equity issue in the public sector.
“Worryingly, the Ministry for Women, MBIE and the SSC have no specific plans or projects to reduce gender pay gaps or promote Equal Employment Opportunities.
“New Zealand women know this isn’t good enough.
“Just yesterday, women members of the PSA (Public Service Association) delivered a $294,827,136 invoice to Treasury, which represented the 14.1% pay gap in the public service.
“Until June 30, these women are ‘working for free’ – representing the annual difference in salaries for men and women in the public sector.
“Instead of continuing to do nothing, John Key and his Government need to show leadership in the pay equity field.
“We will be watching the Budget closely to see if they’ve decided economic equality for New Zealand women is worth fighting for,” said Ms Logie.
Real weekly average earnings Q1 2015:
Male: $1,127.62. Female: $792.88. Overall: $958.73
