Equal Pay Bill making progress
The Education and Workforce Committee has reported back on the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, recommending that the Bill be passed with some amendments. The long-awaited Bill aims to address gender pay equity arising from the historical and systemic undervaluation of ‘women’s work’ in our society.
Key changes to the Bill recommended by the Select Committee include the following:
- Providing a benchmark for determining a “predominantly female” workforce as being one that is, or historically was, approximately 60% or more female.
- Removing the requirement to undergo facilitation before seeking a determination in disputes, to maintain a low threshold to commence bargaining and provide the Courts with greater discretion.