Red Alert

Archive for the ‘women’ Category

Women on Boards – NZ’s dismal record

Posted by Sue Moroney on February 9th, 2012

Yesterday recruiting company Korn Ferry released a survey showing New Zealand running last in the Asia/Pacific Region for female directors on boards.

Its embarrassing that China, India, Malaysia, Siganpore, Hong Kong and Australia all fare better than us. We used to lead the world when it came to representation of women. Kate Sheppard must be turning in her grave.

I thought Institute of Directors Ralph Chivers hit the nail on the head when he said:”There is no shortage of women who aspire to work at that level, or potentially suitable candidates. Women have told us they have difficulty getting noticed for opportunities to be promoted.” How refreshingly honest! He wasn’t prepared to use the tired, worn-out excuse that the problem is women dont want to be directors, or that they weren’t good enough and needed “mentoring.” If I had a dollar for everytime I’ve heard that one, I would be a wealthy woman.

Despite the National Government having a glitzy launch of a “Women on Boards” initiative aimed at the private sector in 2009, the reality is they had just scrapped the target Labour had set of getting 50% women on public sector boards. And so the survey shows that there has been no increase in the proportion of women on our boards and in the public sector (where the Government itself appoints board members) there has been no improvement on the 41% representation Labour had achieved by the time we left office. And its important, because research shows that companies do better with women involved in their decision-making. Women directors are better at risk management, less prone to group thinking, better at problem-solving and better able to link to diverse customers. That’s what research tells us.

Across the ditch, they have made some quick progress on this issue by simply requiring companies to report the facts of the organisation’s gender balance. The result has been that women now make up 25% of new appointments to ASX company boards, compared to just 5% in 2009 before the measure was brought in. In less than a year, the number of women appointed to Australia’s corporate boards has gone from 8% to 14% by just taking this simple measure.It seems that when companies are required to look at their own dismal records, that’s when women start to get noticed. We could do the same – actually we were doing something remarkably similar to this with pay equity audits in the public sector before National scrapped it when they came into Government.

Funny that!

Filed under: Uncategorized, business, women

29 Comments

Happy Suffrage Day from National?

Posted by Carol Beaumont on September 18th, 2011

On the eve of Suffrage Day it is worth contemplating the track record of National in terms of progress for NZ women. I tried on Thursday to explore this with the Minister of Women’s Affairs. You can judge for yourself. I believe NZ women deserve better than this. Tomorrow, on the 118th anniversary of Suffrage Day, the day we celebrate the acheivement of those who fought for and won the vote for women, I will be announcing Labour’s Women’s Policy. The policy is comprehensive and builds on Labour’s proud record of working for real equality, real choice and real opportunity for women.

Filed under: democracy, women

32 Comments

That woman

Posted by Darien Fenton on September 16th, 2011

I’m talking about Frances Walsh. The so-called “hobbit-hating woman”, who dared to stand up for her members in MEAA when Mr Warner Bros and his hired guns came to town last year to attack New Zealand’s sovereignty and labour laws, in the name of “jobs”. Our feeble government wooed Warner Bros, along with Peter Jackson and Co with big limos and flash hospitality and then did the ultimate sell-out by amending labour laws to ensure film and video production workers don’t have the right to challenge their status as employees under our labour law.

That woman, who along with Helen Kelly, CTU President, became the target of the worst case of New Zealand union-phobia we’ve seen in a decade. That woman, who has a distinguished career as a journalist, and who has now published a quite wonderful book, called “Inside Stories” – a history of the New Zealand Housewife 1890 – 1975.

Walsh’s book takes a look at the artistic, cultural and historical role of women in New Zealand. It’s a reminder of the stereotypes of women I grew up with and fought against, and the struggle of the right to vote in the late 1890’s through to 1975, when modern feminism asserted the right to sexual and reproductive freedom.

It’s an artistic romp through women’s magazines and their reflection on a women’s place and a political commentary on how far women in New Zealand have come – and have yet to go.

The book is beautifully illustrated with cartoons, advertisements, colours and wallpapers of the eras. I bought it willingly, because I think it’s one not just to read, but to keep. But I also bought it in honour of Frances’ role as a trade unionist – sticking up for a whole bunch of workers, who may seem by many to be privileged because they work in an industry that is on the surface glamorous and adventurous, but has underneath, a whole lot of problems and issue. The National Government turned their back on them last year when they sidled up to Warner Bros and did the indecent thing, selling out a whole category of workers and giving a message that this is in store for any other group who dare stand up for their rights.

Well done Frances. And all women like her.

Tags: Suffrage Day
Filed under: Hobbit, history, women

18 Comments

The right to vote

Posted by Clare Curran on September 15th, 2011

I believe everyone aged 18 and over, who is able to, should vote. I believe it’s our responsibility as citizens. I believe it should be a requirement of citizenship.

How you vote is your affair. You can cast an invalid vote to protest against the system. But I believe we should.

I talked about this in my maiden speech. This is my view, not my party’s.

The ancient Greeks, who gave birth to democracy, held that it was every citizen’s duty to participate in decision-making. Let’s have the discussion.

In 1893, New Zealand women were the first in the world to be granted the vote. That’s not long ago. My (and your ) ancestors fought for that right.

That achievement was the result of years of effort by suffrage campaigners. In 1891, 1892 and 1893 they compiled a series of massive petitions calling on Parliament to grant the vote to women. The biggest of them all, submitted on 28 July 1893, was signed by ‘Mary J. Carpenter and 25,519 others’ – about one in five New Zealand women at the time.

The petition contains the signatures of many leading suffragists and feminists, including Kate Sheppard, Marion Hatton, Rachel Reynolds, Ada Wells, Tailoresses’ Union leader Harriet Morison, writer Edith Grossman, and sisters Christina and Stella Henderson (whose younger sister, Elizabeth, then too young to sign, would later achieve fame as New Zealand’s first woman MP – under her married name, McCombs).

To mark Women’s Suffrage Day on 19 September, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage has made the names and address details of the women who signed the petition available as a searchable database on NZHistory so New Zealanders can search for family ties to this historic event.

‘Women’s suffrage is rightly celebrated as a great milestone in New Zealand history,’ says Neill Atkinson, Chief Historian at Manatu Taonga. When the governor signed a new Electoral Act into law on 19 September 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant all women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. In most other democracies – notably Britain and the United States – women couldn’t vote until after the First World War. ‘New Zealand’s world leadership in women’s suffrage has become part of our national identity,’ says Atkinson.

I think that’s a great initiative. I’m proud to be a woman MP in our parliament. We’ve achieved 30% representation. MMP has been responsible for increasing that representation. Which is one of the reasons I support and will choose MMP when I cast my vote in the referendum on 26 November.

The right to vote is a precious thing. Let’s all exercise it. Wisely.

Tags: MMP, suffrage
Filed under: #OpenLabourNZ, #ownourfuture, women

40 Comments

Message to women – the numbers say it all

Posted by Carol Beaumont on September 5th, 2011

Continuing a well established pattern the latest National list continues to sideline women. Are there no competent women out there who share National’s philosophy?

If we compare the National and Labour lists by gender this is what we find – in the first 10 positions National has 2 women, Labour has 4; in the first 20 positions National has 5 women, Labour has 8; in the first 30 positions National has 7 women, Labour has 12; in the first 40 positions National has 10 women, Labour has 16; in the first 50 positions National has 14 women, Labour has 21. So National has women in 28% of the first 50 places and Labour 42%.

Women make up just over 50% of the population so I accept that Labour needs to work harder to increase the number of women in our Caucus. But at any given point in our political history Labour has led National in terms of representation of women in Parliament. Fighting for real equality for women is part of Labour’s core values and there is no doubt we have delivered consistently in this area with strong leadership from Labour women MPs.

In comparison this National Government has failed to deliver for women. In fact National has an appalling record in areas like progressing pay equality (closing the Pay and Employment Equity Unit, failing to act on pay investigations and cutting funding to the EEO Trust) and violence against women (cutting successful programmes and creating less secure funding for those delivering successful programmes like Girls Self Defence, leaving the Domestic Violence Bill languishing on the order paper). A number of legislative and policy changes have disproportionate negative effects on women (reducing access to the Training Incentive Allowance, 90 days fire at will provisions, meagre increases to the minimum wage and cuts to Adult and Community Education). Where are the strong voices advocating for women in the National Caucus? The current Minister’s priority seems to be increasing the number of women on Company Boards. This is important and I support greater representation of women everywhere (including in the National Caucus) however I don’t think this initiative is really the most burning issue for the many NZ women who are struggling to make ends meet.

Tags: National Party
Filed under: democracy, parliament, politics, women

80 Comments

Abuse of women in NZ -highest in OECD

Posted by Carol Beaumont on July 28th, 2011

A recently released UN Women report shows that NZ has the highest rates of physical and sexual violence in the OECD with 30% of women having ever experienced physical violence and 14% having ever experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner from 2000 – 2010. This is something we should be very worried about. Physical and sexual abuse by intimate partners is generally about power and control. It is often about men having a very negative view of women. There is no doubt that stress and alcohol play a role.

The consequences of this violence are huge. I have previously worked in the women’s health movement and I have seen first hand the depression, the loss of confidence and the other consequences that remain long after the physical injuries have healed. Children are also hurt by this violence in so many ways including fear and trauama from seeing their mother hurt. They can often learn and become caught up in similar patterns of abuse. I have also seen the guts and determination women muster to leave violent relationships and to rebuild lives that have been shattered.

We must do something real to change the violence that pervades our culture. Just to give a sense of scale – in 2008 the Police responded to 82,692 incidents involving some form of domestic violence. I find it appalling that at a time when reported violence is increasing that successful programmes like Child Advocates and Te Rito have been cut as has funding for residential services.

In contrast, earlier this year the Gillard Government in Australia announced a 12 year multi-million dollar framework for action to reduce violence. This unified strategy across agencies has cross party support. The strategy includes a major focus on prevention.

I don’t for one minute claim this is a new problem or indeed one that is unique to NZ. Last week I attended two meetings focussed on women on consecutive nights . In the first Marilyn Waring was speaking about the Solomon Islands and the second was a presentation by Ratna Osman from an organisation called Sisters in Islam. Both presentations referred to the significant problem of violence against women.

Violence against women occurs in all societies but I do worry about the scale of the problem in NZ. I think we need to do more to address this problem and reach some sort of consensus on what is needed. In my maiden speech I committed to working to on the issue of family violence. I want to acknowledge those who work in paid and unpaid capacities to try to prevent such violence and to deal with the consequences of such violence. Yours is an important and difficult job.

Women’s Refuge is one such group and last week Jacinda, Carmel and I made a small contribution by collecting for Women’s Refuge in Auckland.

Tags: Women's Refuge
Filed under: alcohol and other drugs, violence, women

8 Comments

Thought provoking visit to Arohata Prison

Posted by Carol Beaumont on July 18th, 2011

As Labour’s Women’s Affairs Spokesperson I visited Arohata Women’s Prison with my colleague, Labour’s Justice Spokesperson Charles Chauvel, this afternoon. I have never been in any prison before in any capacity and I have to say the visit has really got me thinking.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but one thing I can say is that anyone who calls a prison a holiday camp or a luxury hotel has got it completely wrong. The facilities were basic and functional.

After a warm Maori welcome we were shown around the prison. The highlight was talking to a group of about twenty five women who are part of the prison’s Drug Treatment Unit (DTU). The DTU operates a therapeutic community model with a structured programme operating in a community environment with community expecations, community support and evalutions. Charles and I asked the women to tell us the things that would reduce the chances of them reoffending when they go back into the community and what things might have stopped them offending in the first instance.

I think the women were pleased and surprised to be asked these questions by MPs and I was really impressed with the answers. One area that stood out is that in Arohata the women have an opportunity to learn and to gain qualifications. This is clearly valued by the women -this was stated by both the inmates and the staff. They want to keep learning and to use that learning to get jobs and to help their children.

What is also obvious is the strong desire of the group to deal with their addictions. Arohata is the only women’s prison that operates a DTU and so many of the women have had to move away from Christchurch and Auckland women’s prisons and proximity to their families to take part in the programme. They clearly make the link between violence, drugs, alcohol and their offending.

The women who spoke clearly want to move forward, to get jobs and to get their children back. They want to be given a chance by employers. They are also worried about what support there will be once they leave Arohata.

Some things that were reinforced for me were:

we need to focus on the causes of crime and not solely on punishment
we especially need to consider whether imprisonment is the best response to all of the situations people are currently imprisoned for
the need for drug treatment programmes in all our prisons and in the community
the importance of life long learning opportunities, to name a few

Charles and I have committed to going back and continuing the conversation. We are intending to visit the other women’s prisons too.

Tags: crime, life long learning
Filed under: alcohol and other drugs, law and order, women

5 Comments

How safe are our Hospitality workers in the World Cup?

Posted by Darien Fenton on June 19th, 2011

The recent arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the IMF for sexually assaulting a hotel housemaid got me thinking about the New Zealand hospitality industry and the potential exposure of NZ workers to inappropriate behaviour during the Rugby World Cup.

The housemaid involved in the Strauss-Kahn case is a union member, which makes all the difference. But by far the majority of hotel workers in New Zealand are not union members.

Sadly, the further you go down the hospitality chain, from large hotels to motels, restaurants and bars, the worse it is.

New Zealand’s laws protect workers against sexual harassment, but it’s a hard row to hoe. There are two routes – through the Human Rights Commission or through personal grievance. New Zealand’s hospitality industry is repsonsible for 10% of all workplace sexual harassment complaints to the Human Rights Commission, but I know from experience that’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s just not that easy to take this on.

If you are a young worker, not in a union, new to a job, on a 90 day trial period, are you really going to have the courage to challenge your employer if a sexual harassment incident occurs?

There’s an attitude issue here. The Hospitality Industry is not only responsible for the behaviour of their staff, but also their customers and clients. To their credit, some work has been done in the industry to educate employers about their responsibilities.

I came across this comment from the Restaurant Association in a newsletter about sexual harrasment.

I accept that some people will regretfully be sexually harassed, but at the risk of being challenged, I have formed the opinion that the majority of complaints are motivated by the monetary rewards that might result.

According to this, there’s a golden pot of money waiting for workers who complain about sexual harassment!

However, it’s not just about sexual harassment. It’s also about decent pay and fair conditions.

The government needs to work with unions and business to set standards for how we expect New Zealand workers to be treated during an event like this.

We want our visitors to have a great time, but not at the expense of New Zealand workers.

Tags: rugby world cup
Filed under: Employers, rugby world cup, sexual harassment, women, workers rights

15 Comments

2 min 38 secs on the national party leader’s plan – have a look

Posted by Trevor Mallard on June 17th, 2011

Tags: the leader of the national party
Filed under: Cost of Living, Loan Sharks, Pay Equity, Unemployment, coalition management, community, debt, economy, family, inequality, value of work, women, work life balance, workers rights, youth

11 Comments

Annette = substance, Bennett = useless spin, play of the day

Posted by Trevor Mallard on May 6th, 2011

And from what I read she is struggling in Waitakere too.

For those without broadband, the Hansard is below: (more…)

Tags: annette king, Paula Bennett
Filed under: Loan Sharks, Pacific issues, Play of the Day, Victims' rights, Waitakere, disabilities, parliament, poverty, social development, unpaid work, women, youth

24 Comments

International Women’s Day

Posted by Carol Beaumont on March 8th, 2011

Today marks the centenary of International Women’s Day. In the last century women have struggled for and achieved much in New Zealand. We have often led the way in terms of women’s rights and this is worthy of celebration.

Originally tabled as an idea by Clara Zetkin a German socialist in 1910, International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic ‘Triangle Fire’ in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women. This tragedy drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women’s Day events. The date was shifted to 8 March in 1913 and has since been celebrated on that date.

The focus on working conditions and labour laws is still very relevant for women in NZ and globally. The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) representing 176 million workers in 151 countries and territories today launched a report highlighting how women are still second class citizens at work.

The concentration of women in low paid and precarious work is still an issue in New Zealand. There is clear evidence that the work of many women is undervalued. The consequences of the persistent gender pay gap are huge and are both immediate and long term. Women and their families have less income than they should to make ends meet and women over their lifetime are underpaid to a significant level which means they are able to save less for their retirement.

Low pay and pay inequity are serious matters and the consequences are particularly severe in tough economic times where families are struggling with ever rising prices, job losses and static or reducing incomes. The need for Government action is compelling.

On the centenary of International Women’s Day the National Government’s track record on the issue of pay equity is a sorry one. That record— disestablishing the Pay Equity Unit, halting or failing to act on Pay and Employment Equity investigations, lifting the minimum wage by a cynically small amount, and crowing about closing the gender pay gap at a time of falling wages— is costing women all over New Zealand.

These actions are in a context of backtracking on basic rights at work. We have seen attacks on holidays, on meal and rest breaks and on rights to organise in unions. We are seeing women sacked without recourse, women who too often have broken work histories and face periods of time with no rights in regard to unfair dismissal.

Today along with all my Labour women colleagues I signed the Pay and Employment Equity Pledge at Parliament urging the Government to reassess its strategy and develop a plan to close the pay gap in New Zealand. Now that would be a good way to celebrate International Women’s Day!

Along with other speakers at the event at Parliament today I acknowledged the women of Christchurch. These women, in the face of terrible tragedy, are seeking to hold together their families and rebuild their lives. It is concerning to learn that the pressure facing the people of Christchurch is leading to an increase of domestic violence, a problem that still blights the lives of many women in New Zealand and globally.

Tags: International Women's Day
Filed under: Pay Equity, women, workers rights

7 Comments

Women should be grateful

Posted by Carol Beaumont on February 18th, 2011

We have a Prime Minister who thinks people using food banks do so because they make poor choices and an Acting Minister of Women’s Affairs who thinks women like school support staff working in jobs that are undervalued and who are struggling with the family budget in the face of ever rising prices should be “grateful that there is a National Government focused on lifting economic performance, and ensuring the well being of families and communities”

They are all heart! They have no idea what it is really like for low and middle income New Zealanders!

In relation to Kate Wilkinson’s comments I say (a) there is no plan to lift economic performance, (b) the economy is going backwards – increasing unemployment and real wages falling, (c) her words will not give women confidence that this Government actually intends to do anything about the gender pay gap and (d) being grateful won’t help put food on the table or balance the budget.

Yesterday was Red Bag Day, a day started by Business and Professional Women in 1988 to highlight the gender pay gap internationally. The Minister cited the NZ Income Survey to say that the gender pay gap has closed but she then disputed the same statistics series when I outlined that it showed that real wages have declined, which of course makes a mockery of her crowing about the gender pay gap closing.

This Government have failed women in so many ways. In relation to pay equity they have scrapped the Pay Equity Unit, halted pay and employment equity investigations and failed to honour commitments to groups like Education Support Staff who work with special needs children. This is effectively ignoring the proven inequality this group faces. In tough economic times with high unemployment and reducing pay, low incomes due to discrimination have even greater impact on women and their families.

It is certainly inappropriate for the Acting Minister of Women’s Affairs to celebrate falling wages and to tell women they should be grateful.

Filed under: Pay Equity, value of work, women

30 Comments

Risk of increased violence against women during the Rugby World Cup

Posted by Carmel Sepuloni on February 10th, 2011

Like the vast majority of New Zealander’s, I’m a rugby fan, infact I’ve even played a few games during my lifetime. Like most Kiwis I’m excited about the fact that we’re hosting the Rugby World Cup this year (I’m also proud of the fact that it was the Labour Party that secured the rights to host for our country…but that’s a separate issue).

One issue that I hadn’t considered till recently was the copious amounts of alcohol that is likely to be consumed over the course of the world cup and the subsequent impact that this could have on family violence, abuse and neglect. It was a report written by Debbie Hager and Diane Woolsen Neville that alerted me to these concerns, ‘Mitigating the risk of men’s violence aginst women increasing during the Rugby World Cup 2011′.

The report cites evidence of increased levels of violence, abuse and neglect during major sporting events. It looks like a successful campaign run overseas during these type of events is being rolled out in New Zealand, the ‘Blow the Whistle Campaign’ – this is a wise move. Recommendations have been made in this report with respect to advertising, policing, venue safety, safety of children and young people and a number of other areas. The Government will need to take up these recommendations to ensure that any risk of increased violence is mitigated during this time.

Tags: alcohol, Debbie Hager, Diane Woolson Neville, rugby world cup, violence, women
Filed under: alcohol and other drugs, rugby world cup, women

28 Comments

Women are not commodities

Posted by Carol Beaumont on February 10th, 2011

I was appalled to hear of a radio station competition to ‘win a wife’. It is a reminder that there is still an attitude towards women in NZ that is deeply troubling – that they are commodities to buy and to own. The website includes a form to fill in and says “If you’re interested in holy matrimony with a potentially hot foreign chick, fill it out to the best of your abilities”

I, like many others I imagine, would have thought these sorts of competitions were from a bygone era. The reality is that there is still a long way to go to achieving genuine equality for women in NZ. There are still stereotypes, put downs and discrimination.

In addition women, on average, earn less, own less and work longer hours (paid and unpaid work). Violent crimes against women – domestic and sexual violence - are still significant and persistent. We may have been the first country where women gained the right to vote, and we have seen women in the highest positions in the land, but there is still a lot to achieve.

I have recently become Labour’s Women’s Affairs Spokesperson and I will carry on the good job done by my colleague Sue Moroney in providing a strong voice for women.

Back to the beginning of this post - you may say that I don’t have a sense of humour. I can assure you I do but marriage is about an important relationship not a transaction. Women are not commodities!

Filed under: women

86 Comments

Summer films : Made in Dagenham

Posted by Darien Fenton on December 27th, 2010

If you see no other film this summer, you need to see this one.

It’s the story of a group of women working for the Ford Factory in Dagenham, UK who decided that not only were the 187 women machinists worth more because of their skills, but that all women should have equal pay.

It’s a classic. It has it all. Staunch women, men who aren’t so sure, one corrupt union official and another who has his principles intact. It shows how American Ford went to great lengths to try to influence (or threaten) the UK government to ignore the women strikers. (Things haven’t changed that much here I reckon when we think about the Hobbit.)

It led to the UK Labour government introducing the Equal Pay Act in 1970, and shows Labour MP, Barbara Castle’s involvement in that decision.

The UK Equal Pay Act led to other countries doing the same, including NZ. Our Equal Pay Act (or as Pansy Wong liked to call it, the Pay Equal Act, became law in 1972 (and yes, under a National government). We were following rather than leading, so Tories shouldnt get too carried away.

Pity about Pay Equity – but go see it. Reminds us all that left to employers, self interest and greed comes first.

Thanks Dagenham sisters and mothers.

Tags: Summer films
Filed under: Pay Equity, women

1 Comment

What are you doing in this picture?

Posted by Phil Twyford on December 8th, 2010

MPs from Labour, the Greens and National gathered on the forecourt today to stand in solidarity with women in the Pacific who face violence. The action was organised by the NGO coalition Women’s Rights and Advocacy in the Pacific (WRAP). It is an important issue, and very valuable to have some cross-party consensus behind it. But my question for National MPs who were there today, very keen to get in the press photos, is this: What are you doing about Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully’s cuts to the funding of human rights organisations and centres in Tonga and Vanuatu that work on violence against women?

Tags: Murray McCully, parliament, Women's Rights and Advocacy in the Pacific
Filed under: Pacific issues, Uncategorized, international, overseas aid, women

7 Comments

Just what is Wong saying ?

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 6th, 2010

For those with broadband have a look at this. I think it is a disgrace. As well as not answering the question she blatantly lied to the house.

For those without broadband the full question and supplementaries is below.

(more…)

Tags: pansy wong
Filed under: democracy, national, parliament, women

14 Comments

Pansy Wong “No stone unturned”

Posted by Carol Beaumont on July 4th, 2010

On Wednesday 30 June the Pay Equity Challenge Coalition held a rally outside Parliament to mark the anniversary of the National Government’s closure of the Pay and Employment Equity Unit. The rally sought to highlight New Zealand’s gender pay gap and to analyse the actions of the Minister of Women’s Affairs who promised last June to “leave no stone unturned in trying to close the gender pay gap”

At Question Time that day Catherine Delahunty and I asked questions of the Minister Pansy Wong to explore what she had been doing to close the gender pay gap. Her answers show both a lack of understanding and a lack of commitment to dealing with this problem. She was just plain wrong about the gap closing to 11% as Catherine went on to show the House the next day. And as for her answer on flexible working – well I leave that up to you to judge. The legislation that National voted against was the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007. As the Dept of Labour outlines the flexibility envisaged is broad ranging and includes – flexi hours, flexi weeks, flexi years, flexi location, flexi worksite, flexi career.

The issues of unequal pay – whether it be unequal pay for the same work, unequal pay for work of equal value or lack of opportunity to progress to higher paid work – have serious consequences over a lifetime. The immediate financial consequences for families is that they have less money to try and make ends meet. Many families are struggling at the moment with low or no pay increases and ever increasing costs; unequal pay exacerbates the problem.

There is not a single solution to the issue of pay equity but not acting is indefensible. Minister Pansy Wong’s commitment to “leave no stone unturned to close the pay gap” has been shown to be worthless.

Tags: pansy wong
Filed under: Pay Equity, women, workforce

3 Comments

Red Alert

Red Alert

Archive for the ‘women’ Category

Women on Boards – NZ’s dismal record

Happy Suffrage Day from National?

That woman

The right to vote

Message to women – the numbers say it all

Abuse of women in NZ -highest in OECD

Thought provoking visit to Arohata Prison

How safe are our Hospitality workers in the World Cup?

2 min 38 secs on the national party leader’s plan – have a look

International Women’s Day

Women should be grateful

Risk of increased violence against women during the Rugby World Cup

Women are not commodities

Summer films : Made in Dagenham

What are you doing in this picture?

Just what is Wong saying ?

Pansy Wong “No stone unturned”

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