Statement from ACTU President Michele O’Neil:
Today is Equal Pay Day, the day which marks the end of the 62 additional days women workers need to work after the end of the financial year to earn as much as men in Australia.
It’s a stark reminder of the work which still needs to be done to close the gender pay gap.
Unions have always been at the forefront of fight for equal pay. Our current campaigns for 10 days paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave, flexible work arrangements for people with caring responsibilities, casual conversion, expanded parental leave, and changes to superannuation including paying super to people who are on parental leave are all targeted to close the gender pay gap.
The gender pay gap exists because we have workplace rules and a culture which values work traditionally done by women less than that done by men, and structures which make it hard for women to stay in work while dealing with the caring responsibilities that our society continues to expect them to shoulder.
We can and must do more to close the gender pay gap, and change the rules for working women.
