Pay Equity Pledge for NFP Workers

With ten days left before the Federal Election, the Gillard Government has pledged its support for equal pay for community sector workers.

The Minister for Community Services, Jenny Macklin says the Government strongly supports gender pay equity, based on its values of fairness and equity as the Not for Profit sector employs more than 200,000 employees, of which 87 per cent are women.

Last year, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Australian Services Union signed a Heads of Agreement to support a major test case on pay equity for community sector employees under the new Fair Work system, based on the principle of gender pay equity.

This is the first case relying on the more generous pay equity provisions that Federal Labor introduced into the Fair Work Act.

Under this agreement, the Gillard Labor Government agreed to work with the Australian Services Union to support Fair Work Australia in developing an appropriate equal remuneration principle for the federal jurisdiction.

It will also provide research such as labour market information to assist Fair Work Australia in determining the pay equity claim.

A re-elected Gillard Labor Government says it will continue to play its part in the hearing of the case, assisting Fair Work Australia and the parties by presenting accurate and comprehensive data and evidence on gender pay equity in the community services sector.

The Gillard Labor Government has committed to work through the funding implications of any increase in wages awarded as a result of the Australian Services Union's national pay equity case in partnership with the affected unions, employers and the States and Territories.