Equal Pay Day: Equal Pay Alliance

A woman starting work today will retire having earned $1 million less than a man doing the same job unless decisive employer and government action is taken to end the scandal of pay inequality, say unions.

Launching an alliance of 135 organisations to mark Equal Pay Day (September 1) ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:

“It is unacceptable that working women are still being short-changed in their pay packets.

“Many Australians believe women won equal pay in the 1970s - but they are wrong.

“It’s almost 40 years since Australian women were officially granted equal pay for equal work. Yet women still earn 17% less than men or $1 million less over a lifetime.

“For the first time a broad coalition of organisations will campaign to close the pay gap between men and women,” said Ms Burrow.

On average, it takes women 14 months to earn the same amount that men earn in 12 months. This year, Equal Pay Day is 1 September, which commemorates the day when women’s earnings "catch up".

“Our labour market and social structures continue to discriminate against women in employment,” Ms Burrow said.

“On one hand, women have access to unprecedented levels of education and employment. Yet women continue to shoulder most of the unpaid housework and care of children.

“A critical lack of childcare options and inflexible work practices is stopping them from successfully combining work and caring responsibilities.”

While women are now more likely to have a tertiary qualification than men, women graduates will earn $2,000 less than male graduates and $7,400 less by the fifth year after graduation;

Fewer than 2% of ASX 200 companies have a female chief executive officer and only 1 in 12 board directors are women.

Women retire with less than half the amount of savings in their superannuation accounts compared with men.

And, it’s predicted that rather than improving, the gender pay gap between women and men’s earnings is set to increase over the upcoming years.

“We look forward to the support of the Rudd government, employers and the community to achieve these reforms so our daughters don’t need to work an extra two months to earn as much as their brothers,” Ms Burrow said.

The Equal Pay Alliance includes a diverse range of organisations including community, business and welfare peak bodies who are pledging to promote equal pay and employment opportunity for all Australians.