EQUAL PAY DAY MARKED WITH NEW THREATS TO FAIR PAY FOR WOMEN

Equal Pay Day is a stark reminder for the Morrison Government to do more to fix the gender pay gap with new threats to fair pay for Australian women.

The Morrison Government’s failure to protect the penalty rates of Australian workers means hair and beauty workers are now in the firing line.

The vast majority of these workers are women and any cuts to penalty rates won’t just make it harder to pay the rent and cover the bills, it will also exacerbate the gender pay gap.

If the Morrison Government cared about fixing the gender pay gap they would oppose any changes and stand up for these workers.

The gender pay gap in Australia has remained stubbornly high over the past two decades and any minor changes have been widely attributed to the mining boom ending.

For all of the political spin from the Prime Minister and Treasurer about the benefits of economic growth it is clear this is not true for many Australians – especially women.

The Morrison Government must put forward a genuine reform agenda to close the gender pay gap and address the discrimination that is fuelling this gap.

Labor has a proud record of fighting for equal pay for Australian women.

When we were last in government this included introducing the first national paid parental leave scheme.

Labor delivered funding to support the equal pay case for social and community service workers delivering pay rises to 150,000 workers.

Labor also ensured businesses with more than 100 employees report annually on gender equality indicators.

The Morrison Government must do more to ensure Australian women are not worse off in the workplace.

WEDNESDAY, 28 AUGUST 2019