CLICK on http://www.afdo.org.au for more information and to download a questionnaire form, or call the organisation on 03 9662 3324.
WEL recognises the importance for women of work and financial independence. The reduction of poverty for families and for women in retirement is often dependent on a woman's opportunity to work.
However a lack of family friendly work arrangements act as a major disincentive which Governments and employers need to address. Paid Maternity Leave and Child Care are addressed in this website on separate pages. Another area is permanent part time work. Mere casualisation can lead to income insecurity. WEL has been made aware that some franchisees using mainly casual workers have not adhered to fair pay for their staff.
Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Industrial Relations in the Rudd Government introduced the Act which passed both houses in March 2008. The Act stopped any more AWAs under the old WorkChoices Act 2005. The old Act marginalised awards. The 2008 Act introduces measures to reform Awards. These new "modern Awards" are to work with the proposed ten National Employment Standards.
CLICK here to read the WEL submission 2008 to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) on the Award Modernisation process for the Aged Care industry.
New government research provides new evidence on the gender pay gap and how it affects senior business women. Tania Plibersek MP, Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women, has launched The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Worplace Agency (EOWA) Gender Income Distribution of Top Earners report in January 2008. Ms Plibersek says the report investigates pay disparity at senior levels in the top 200 companies on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX200). While the average gender pay gap is well documented, this new research shows that pay inequity is far reaching and experienced by senior business women, including CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) of large Australian companies. According to the report, female CEOs earn two thirds the median wage of male CEOs and female Chief Financial Officers and Chief Operating Officers earn just half the median wage of their male equivalents.
Also, Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveal that a full-time working woman will earn, on average, 84 per cent of a full-time working man's wage. This is further evidence that from the moment a woman enters the workforce she is likely to earn less than her male colleagues, regardless of her career, industry or level. WEL has been lobbying for workplace equality for the last 30 years - when will it change? A full copy of the EOWA report can be dowloaded at www.eowa.gov.au.
Click here to read about Equal Pay under Threat by Sue Dunlevy, Daily Telegraph.
Women are in the lower paid segments of the workforce, so the the old WorkChoices Act 2005 had a disproportionate impact on them, through the process of removing award conditions and reducing pay. And it was impossible to know whether sex discrimination in pay practices was occurring. CLICK on the following to read about women's response to the resultant harsh impact on women.
Sue Hammond's IR Summary
WWW Key Points Chart
Have you been affected by the Welfare to Work changes? The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations is collecting stories about the impact of these changes on people with disability, and would love to hear your story.
CLICK on http://www.afdo.org.au for more information and to download a questionnaire form, or call the organisation on 03 9662 3324.