Government doesnt care about women

The axing of the Department of Labour’s Pay and Employment Equity Unit yesterday is just another example of National’s lack of commitment to human rights and equity issues, said Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty today.

“This small and highly-effective unit was working for gender pay-equity in the public sector. They were axed for political reasons because the Government doesn’t value pay-equity and has no intention to close the pay gap for women and lead from the front,” said Ms Delahunty.

In March 2007 women earned 78.9% of men’s average weekly earnings, and 86.7% of men’s average hourly earnings.

“The current Government doesn’t care that for women in the public sector the gap can be as much as 35% male colleagues’ pay in comparable work.

“The Government doesn’t want public servants working to expose the levels of inequity. The Pay and Employment Equity Unit was doing great work which all women across both the public and private sector could benefit from.

“This so-called inclusive government has shown their true colours around equity for women by dropping the pay investigations for support staff in schools, for CYFS social workers, and by excluding significant women’s organisations from the recent Job Summit.”

Ms Delahunty said that the Government’s approach breached United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

New Zealand recently faced criticism from the United Nations over the Government’s lack of action on pay-equity and women’s rights.

“The sacking of these researchers and watchdogs of gender discrimination is the last straw. These actions send a crystal clear message to women about how the government values our contribution in the paid workplace,” Ms Delahunty said.

For more information

Department of Labour Information on pay-equity see - www.dol.govt.nz/services/PayAndEmploymentEquity/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-7.asp#fn2
United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women at www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/  
To listen to UN criticism see Radio New Zealand story entitled Government may sign UN declaration on indigenous people at http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/20090508