Equal Pay

Inequality in pay rates is an act of sexual discrimination . Historically it was assumed that women had either their fathers or their husband to financially support them. If a woman worked it was decided by the men in positions of power that they required less to live on. The idea that the male bread winner worked full time to provide for the family remains today, no matter how irrelevant. Because male dominated unions have been larger and stronger than unions for jobs performed predominantly by women, women workers have often been treated less favourably under awards and agreements than male workers. Discrimination of this type, is now unlawful, under the “Sexual Discrimination Act” and “Industrial Relations Reform Act” of 1984. Yet even today woman working full time currently average about 2/3 of men’s earnings overall in Australia. The major factor contributing to this is the traditional undervaluing of woman’s skills and the part time nature of work opportunities available to women. Also because woman’s career paths may be interrupted for motherhood, to bear and raise children, a job grossly undervalued by society as a whole.

Up until 1969 it was the law in many occupations that women doing the same job as men got 25% less pay. During 1966 a “marriage bar” in the Commonwealth Public Service was lifted, this allowed married women access to permanent employment in the public service, teaching and banking positions. Thus our almost exclusively male elected representatives were at last considering equality between the sexes in the workforce. It has taken a lot longer to go from a position of consideration to action.

Today public servants continue to enjoy higher wages on average than private sector workers at $61,500.00 compared to $54,200.00. The Australian Bureau of Statistics have found on average, the full time earnings of men is $10,000.00 per annum more than women. Of the 16 industrial categories in the latest survey of 2007, women continue to earn less than men at every level. The inequality continues with 56% of all women are in the labour force, while in the overall labour force 45% are female.

The picture is far worse for indigenous women and women from other ethnic backgrounds, as not only may their own culture discriminate against them so does the financial sector. Culturally and linguistically diverse women and those less educated can be easily exploited in the workplace by unscrupulous employers using cheap labour in the manufacturing industry. Sweat shops, production line factory work and piece meal jobs are all such places where minority groups of females are used and abused.

The battle for equal pay in the workforce for women continues today.

REFERENCE
Haralambos, M(1996) “Sociology: Themes and Perspectives”
Addison, Wesley,Longman. Melbourne

Summers, Anne(1975) “Damned Whores and God’s Police”
Penguin. Camberwell Vic

http://www.worksite.actu.asn.au
http://www.aar.com.au/about/women/art.htm

Compiled by Avril Moores