WA Pay Equity Experience a Role Model for the Nation
Issue Date: - Wednesday, 17 December 2008
A federal government inquiry has been told gender pay equity is critical to improving Australia's labour supply.
The Western Australian Department of Consumer and Employment Protection has also urged the federal Government to make pay equity a priority and fund a federal Pay Equity Unit.
The calls were made in a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment and Workplace Relations by the Department’s specialist Pay Equity Unit.
Acting Executive Director of DOCEP Labour Relations, Mr Bob Horstman, said the Department believed that pay equity is a fundamental employment issue.
Analysis shows the gender pay gap between the average hourly earnings of men and women in Western Australia varies widely between industries. For example in mining the gap is 22.7%. In Health and Community services the gap is 40.3%, and retail trade is 26.9 %.
“Encouraging greater opportunities for workforce participation and career development for women is a key to improving labour supply, particularly as baby boomers leave the workforce”.
Mr Horstman said the Western Australian experience demonstrates a low level of understanding of pay equity and often significant confusion about the concepts of pay equity within the community and the workplace.
The Department’s submission advocates addressing pay equity through education, raising awareness and encouraging employers to adopt voluntary strategies. Those include flexible working arrangements particularly quality part time work, promoting the business benefits of a flexible workplace culture and raising community awareness.
Mr Horstman said the submission is based on the experience of the Western Australian Pay Equity Unit, which is the only one of its kind in Australia.
“One of the key recommendations is that a similar pay equity unit be established at a federal level to work with existing state and federal agencies to educate and assist employees and employers to address cultural change in the workplace”.
It is one of 12 recommendations the DOCEP submission makes to the Federal Parliamentary inquiry.
The full submission is available on the Department’s website at www.payequity.wa.gov.au or the House of Representatives Standing Committee website at www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ewr/payequity/index.htm
Media contact: Rick Powell, Senior Media/Public Relations Officer,
Labour Relations Division, Department of Consumer and Employment Protection.
Phone (08) 9222 7634 Mobile 0407 424 129
Email rick.powell@docep.wa.gov.au