Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson seems to think so. That’s why she closed down the pay and employment equity unit.
Problem is the 24,000 school support staff who had their pay equity investigation axed in March don’t think the work of the unit is complete.
Neither do social workers, nor the staff at 15 polytechnics, the Wananga, Hort Research or the Teachers’ Council as they are all part-way through pay equity reviews that were being supported by the unit and the contestible fund also scrapped by the Nats.
Today was the last day of exitence for the highly-regarded unit and people protested its demise at rallies in Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland.
Pay equity reviews are at all the above-named organisations are all in jeopardy now.
So what do you think? Has pay equity been done? Are we there yet?
@Sue Good on Kate for scrapping another Labour government initiative that was a total waste of taxpayers funds. People get paid what they deserve and gender is irrelevant. If someone doesn’t like what they get paid they can always get another job, get up-skilled or whatever. This is particularly easy for state sector employees.
The real cause of pathetic pay rates in this country is the abysmal drop in productivity under the Labour government: http://www.interest.co.nz/charts/gallery8-70.asp. Coupled with Labours irresponsible spending on dead end projects like Kiwirail ( http://www.interest.co.nz/ratesblog/index.php/2009/07/01/90-at-9-poor-us-confidence-drags-nz-dow-down-us-house-prices-fall-pumpkin-patch-shuts-us-stores/). How much of a pay rise for teacher aids would Cullens $350 million trainset premium have paid for ?
Bryan Spondre
Ponsonby