Union anger over women’s pay and modern awards

The union movement is stepping up its campaign on women’s pay just days out from International Women’s Day, with the Australian Council of Trade Unions pushing to make the problem a key plank of its Federal Election agenda.

According to a report released this morning, ACTU data shows women in full-time jobs are paid 17% less than their male counterparts – worse than back in 1985.

The report also claims women account for less than 2% of chief executives at ASX 200 companies, while only one in 12 directors at these companies are women.

ACTU Sharan Burrows told the ABC the union body will push for legislative change around issues such as flexible work arrangements, greater protection from discrimination due to carer arrangements, and improved reporting of gender issues by companies.

“We will also look to companies to be transparent about not just what they pay women but the participation rate.”

A particular battleground will be the impact of the Government’s award modernisation process on female pay.

The Australian Services Union is incensed with a Fair Work Australia decision to refuse the unions requested to vary a new award governing airline ground staff, a sector that traditionally has a high proportion of female workers.

The ASU argues the award will see the pay of some airline ground staff slashed by between $70 and $300 a week, while several key allowances have also been eliminated.

“This decision is a slap in the face for ASU members in airlines and lowers the Award safety net to an unrecognisably low level, both on the wages side but also through the elimination of long held allowances that had been in our Awards,” the union says.

However, the Government is standing by its promise that no worker will be worse off under a modern award and has encouraged any affected workers to apply to Fair Work Australia for a take-home pay order to restore salary levels.

SmartCompany will mark International Women’s Day with a special list of Australia’s top female entrepreneurs.