News
Thursday 2 February 2012
Pay decision a win for women
Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, has welcomed the decision by Fair Work Australia to award more than 200,000 social and community services sector workers, pay rises of between 19 and 41 per cent.
Commissioner Broderick said “this historic decision will make a real difference to these workers and their families. The first ever successful claim for an equal remuneration order in the national system also means a significant advance for equal pay for women.”
The decision confirms Fair Work Australia’s interim decision last May, which found that the Social and Community Services workers do not receive remuneration equal to that ‘of employees of state and local governments who perform similar work, and that gender has been important in creating that pay gap’.
“The work of the social and community services sector is some of the most important and yet undervalued work in Australia. One of the primary reasons this work has been unrecognised until now is because it is predominately done by women,” said Commissioner Broderick
“Equal remuneration for work of equal value is a human right, of which many women in Australia are deprived. Its absence has had significant adverse and economic consequences in Australia. Today’s decision is a significant step in addressing that problem, to ensure that there is equal pay for women,” said Commissioner Broderick.
Most social and community services sector workers will enjoy a wage jump of about $15,000 to be phased in over eight years from December 1 2012.
They include disability carers, welfare workers and counsellors who work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Commissioner Broderick said “it will be important for all federal, State and Territory governments to make adequate funding available to ensure that the decision can be implemented without job losses or reduction of services.”
“This case was the country’s first equal pay test case under the new legislation. It demonstrates the value of an equal remuneration order under the Fair Work Act in ensuring that appropriate provisions are made for equal pay across sectors where there is gender pay inequality,” said Commissioner Broderick.
She also said “importantly, the decision will also help the social and community services sector attract and keep qualified, valuable employees.”
