On Equal Pay Day, tomorrow 1 September 2009, the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) will launch a new pay equity section of the EOWA website which will include a new pay audit tool for business (thanks to Jenness Gardner and her team in WA), and an Avant Card campaign aimed largely at young people (with some great images, a tattoo and a fridge magnet). These are free cards which go out to about 1500 locations around the country (http://www.avantcard.com.au/).
DIY Campaign – Free Equal Pay Cards at 1500 locations and on the net
Equal Pay Alliance wants earnings transparency
The Federal Government is being pressured to require companies to reveal what they’re paying men compared to what they are paying women. The call is coming in an open letter to the Government from members of a new alliance of more than 130 business and community groups.
WEL is one of those groups.
See:
Try GetUp’s Equal Pay Calculator
GetUp is an independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues.
This year, as we approach Equal Pay Day on September 1st, GetUp has put an equal pay calculator on its website. Women and men are urged to use the pay calculator ‘to see just how much you’d earn if you were the opposite sex’.
Much work to do to close the gap on women’s pay
Eva Cox writes in Crikey:
Why is there still such a pay gap between men and women in full-time paid work?
This working week is still catch-up time for women on average weekly ordinary-time earnings. Until Tuesday September 1 they will earn less than men did to last June 30. So a coalition of women’s groups is asking for action to close the pay gap.
The gender gap was reduced by 19% between 1972-79 (up to 80%), after the male minimum wage was abolished and equal pay for work of equal value approved.
Wear something red on Equal Pay Day–September 1 2009
WORKING WOMEN ARE STILL IN THE RED–Women working full time, on average, get only 82% of men’s earnings and the gap is increasing. This year, women will have to work 2 months more – to 1 September – to earn the same as their male equivalent.
Equal pay for equal work is still a dream, even where women have similar jobs to men and equal qualifications. Despite legislation in support of equal pay at work, women still do most of the undervalued jobs.
Women demand:
- a rise in the minimum wage
- equal pay for equal work, including
- revaluing the skills and responsibilities of jobs traditionally undertaken by women, so that their pay rates match those offered to equivalent male dominated jobs.
Wear something red on
Equal Pay Day – 1 September 2009
Write to your employer, your member of Parliament, your union. Addresses for Parliamentarians are in the Take Action column. You can copy WEL’s text into your email.
