15,808 signatures presented today at Parliament on the pay equity petition!

Putiputi rocks! Putiputi Temara, Sue Nimmo and Paul Goulter represented NZEI at Labour MP Sue Moroney's event today at the Beehive to mark the 15,808 signatures on her petition - the House is sitting under urgency so it will be formally presented to Parliament next week.

Putiputi wowed the audience with her passionate appeal for a fair deal for support staff and the valuing of people who work with children. She reminded people - He aha te mea nui? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata - what is the most important thing - people people people. Pulling out a $20 bill, she asked - What's the most important thing for the Government? He moni, he moni, he moni (money money money).

Sue Moroney was very complimentary about the huge contribution NZEI members had made to the petition... so thank you again to all of you!

I thought you might also be interested to read the speech Angela McLeod, the President of the Business and Professional Women's group made. Lots of good factual info about where women's pay is at...

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa

Well done Sue Moroney. Well done on getting nearly 16000 signatures on your petition. Your petition that calls on the Government to…

• reverse its decision to scrap pay equity investigations for school support staff and social workers,
• implement the findings of previously completed pay and employment equity reviews,
• develop a strategy to eliminate the gender pay gap in New Zealand.

The Pay Equity Challenge coalition was formed in reaction to the Governments disregard for pay and employment equity. We are a group of organisations that want action on the gender pay gap, and we will be supporting this petition through the democratic process because it calls for action. Action on an issue that most of us have been fighting for - for a very long time.

Our goals are to:

• Achieve equal value and recognition of women's work;
• Continue to make the objective of P&EE visible;
• Keep pressure on the government on P&EE ;
• Organise public activities and events to draw attention to Pⅇ
• Educate the public about P&EE and equal pay for work of equal value;
• Support groups of workers fighting for Pⅇ
• Create pressure on employers to deliver Pⅇ
• Investigate industrial, social, legal and political solutions on Pⅇ
• Grow support for the P&EE Challenge Coalition.


At this time of Suffrage Day celebrations where we celebrate the winning of the fight for women to vote, we are again fighting. For the right to equal pay for work of equal value. And would Kate Sheppard turn in her grave? I should think so.

Why?

1. Because over 60% of today’s graduates are women and yet at the end of their first year working, they are earning 8% less than their male counterparts, and 14% after five years.

2. The gender pay gap per hour worked is a 12% average… but the mean weekly total income for women in NZ is 42% less than men.

3. The pay investigation in to women social workers ascertained that they are paid 9.5% less than their male counterparts. And education support workers have had their pay investigated which showed a huge gap between them and a comparative occupational group of correction workers. Neither group of women workers have had their pay increased.

4. It would seem to those of us watching, that this Govt is not honouring Article 11 1 d of CEDAW or the UN MDG3 nor do they care or want to acknowledge that pay and employment equity is vital to the economy recovering from the recession. Women hold the purse strings…I mean hello…51% of the population and our men always comment about our innate ability to spend…

5. This government spouts on about productivity. Well a study in the UK suggests that a decrease in gender pay gap would significantly increase productivity and that 23billion pounds would be added to the UK economy. 23billion pounds - thats about $60billion dollars.

So how about it Mr Key et al?

Take heed of Sue’s petition, listen to the women of NZ, honour our international obligations, let’s see some action and get this gender pay gap closed.

Kia ora

Angela McLeod
President BPWNZ
Spokesperson Pay Equity Challenge Coalition