Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move Australian Greens amendments (2) and (5) on sheet 5451:

(2)

Schedule 2, item 9, page 90 (line 26), at the end of subsection 576A(2), add:       ; and (f)          must ensure equal pay for work of equal value.

(5)

Schedule 2, item 9, page 91 (after line 24), after paragraph 576B(2)(h), insert:

(ha)

the need for rates of pay and classifications to provide equal pay for work of equal value;

I take your point, Senator Murray. These issues relate to pay equity, which came up extensively as an issue during the inquiry. One point that became clear was that gender pay equity had significantly decreased under the AWA process. It should be noted that this occurred in Western Australia under the Court era of IR reform. Research has been presented that showed there was a clear impact on pay equity then, and it has gotten worse in Western Australia under the Work Choices regime. In fact, my home state of Western Australia has the dubious record of being one of the worst states in Australia, if not the worst state, for pay equity and the different rates of pay for men and women. We all know that the average pay rates for women in Australia are well below the average pay rates for men. Research conducted in Australia over the last 10 years points to awards playing an important role in addressing gender pay inequity. For example, most states now have pay equity principles, which allow awards to be varied to ensure equal pay for work of equal value.

I outlined in our speech in the second reading debate that we would be addressing this issue through amendments. We are concerned that the award modernisation process will merely consolidate these pay inequities as they exist in awards, without the Industrial Relations Commission being required to consider pay equity when modernising awards. At the very least, we would urge the government to include an effective pay equity mechanism in the substantive bill. I am already pre-empting that that may be an issue. One of the government’s responses is that this should be dealt with in the substantive bill. I would specifically like to ask questions around this issue and how it is envisaged that the award modernisation process will consider pay equity issues in the awards. If the government does not think this is appropriate, why not? How does it intend to deal with this issue if it is not dealt with through this process?