Letter to the Minister of Women

3 August 2016

Hon Louise Upston

Wellington

Dear Minister,

The Pay Equity Coalition Wellington writes to seek your full endorsement of the recommendations made to the Government from the Joint Working Party (JWG) on Pay Equity Principles and respectfully asks for your support in your role as Minister of Women in guiding this work through the Cabinet process.

The work by the JWG represents an unparalleled opportunity to make a real difference to the unequal pay that women in female dominated sectors get just because they are women.

The Pay Equity Coalition was established in 2009 and follows in the footsteps of prominent national women’s organisations who have worked since the 1972 Equal Pay Act was enacted to see equal pay for work of equal value implemented. Amongst our membership of more than 20 organisations is the Coalition of Equal Value for Equal Pay (CEVEP), the National Council of Women (NCW), the Federation of Graduate Women (FGW) the New Zealand Federation of Business & Professional Women (BPWNZ), Zonta ( Mana) and other women’s groups, community organisations and unions.

The realisation of the equal pay for work of equal value principle will have wide economic and societal benefits – not only for women now –but also for future generations of young women. It is unthinkable to our younger generation of women that we would not seek to do all in our power to address this inequality and that we would allow women’s pay to be lower because they work in an area where women predominate.

The next step in the JWG process – endorsement of the principles by the Government – represents a significant moment in the history of equal pay in New Zealand. The work by the JWG and the development of the principles provides the basis for an orderly process by which women can be paid according to their skills, responsibilities and the value they add – and not on the basis of their gender and their historical roles in the home and in society.

We ask you as a Minister for Women with a critical role in this process ahead, to urge your colleagues to fully support the JWG recommendations and the implementation of the equal Pay for work of equal value principles to achieve equal pay for New Zealand women.

Yours sincerely

Angela McLeod

Pay Equity Coalition Wellington Spokesperson