NZEI PAEE News

MR 2010 - Bennett's Nightmare

Bennett's Nightmare!! - Government Policy will add to the hardship endured by many NZ women and children.

This package looks like a repeat of the failed policies of the 1990s. They were bad for children then, and they will be worse for children now. Women in part-time work are already severely discriinated against in terms of pay equity and opportunities.
The Government's latest 'great' (I don't think so!!!) idea will further disadvantage solo parents - the majority of which are women - and add to the hardshio already endured by 1 in 5 NZ children.
"Being able to earn an extra $20 per week before tax will not alleviate child poverty, and it probably won't give anyone an incentive to work who isn't already," said Donna Wynd Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson

Media Release (0.1mb pdf)

2009 Working For Free Day

18 November 2009 is a red letter day for New Zealand women who earn on average 12% less than men. That’s why 18 November is Working For Free Day. We want to use this day to raise the profile of pay equity issues all over the country.

Working For Free Day Flyer (0.2mb pdf)

BPWNZ Media Release (0.1mb pdf)

CTU Women�s Conference

CTU Women’s Conference www.union.org.nz/about/ctu-womens-council.

View Conferencel photos @ www.fairdeal.org.nz

Pay and employment equity for Support Staff and support workers was an important focus of the CTU women’s biennial conference in August 2009. Over 150 women unionists from the state and private sector signed a petition to Pansy Wong – Minister of Women’s Affairs – needless to say Pansy Wong’s reply was less that satisfactory.

Women�s Meeting at NZEI Annual Meeting 2009

Pay and Employment Equity was the focus of the Women’s Meeting at Annual Meeting 2009. Over 200 Women attended this meeting and many signed up to be part of the Pay Equity Challenge www.union.org.nz/payequity

Rose Ryan www.heathrose.co.nz noted industrial and workplace issues researcher and academic took NZEI members through a history of women in the NZ workforce View Rose’s presentation

National Executive explained why NZEI’s work with the Pay Equity Challenge Coalition is so important – particularly the need to build wider community support and understanding for Pay Equity issues for directly employed Support Staff in schools and Support Workers employed by the Ministry of Education.

Pay Equity Challenge Coalition speech at Women’s Meeting @ Annual Meeting 2009 (0.1mb pdf)

Over 60 NZEI women signed up to be part of the Challenge. If you are interested in working with other unions and women’s groups on this important issue please email womensnetwork@nzei.org.nz and we will get in touch.

MR 2009/42 - Pay Equity petition should force government to sit up and listen

NZEI members are committed to eliminating the gender pay gap and strongly backed the petition, collecting more than 10,000 signatures. It calls for the reinstatement of pay equity investigations in the public sector and for the government to honour the results of those already completed.

Media Release 2009/42 (0.1mb pdf)

GSE Support Worker Pay Investigation FAQs (0.1mb pdf)

MR 2009/35 - Education workers give boost to pay equity petition

NZEI members add 10,000 signatures to a petition on pay and employment equity which aims to eliminate the gender pay gap.

Media Release 2009/35 (0.1mb pdf)

MR 2009/32 - Voice of low paid education workers rings out at pay equity rally

The voice of low paid school support staff was heard loud and clear at today’s pay equity rally at parliament.

Media Release 2009/32 (0.1mb pdf)

Speech to pay equity rally (0.1mb pdf)

Pay Equity rally means business for Wellington retailers

Wellington businesses are showing their support for women's pay equity by offering a discount - for women only - to coincide with the Pay Equity rally at Parliament on Tuesday 30 June. Because women are paid around 12 per cent less than men the businesses are all offering a 12 per cent discount to women for anything from clothes to coffee on the day.

Women will be able to buy discounted wine, flowers, hair products and books as well with Andrea Moore, Unity Books, Hair Essentials, Flowers on Featherston, Frutti clothing, Wineseeker, cafe Neo, Deluxe and Midnight Espresso, and Parliament's very own watering hole the Backbencher all joining in to compensate women for the earnings gap.

Source: www.union.org.nz

Unite's minimum wage campaign

"Should the adult minimum wage be raised in steps over the next three years, starting with an immediate rise to $15 per hour, until it reaches 66% of the average total hourly earnings as defined in the Quarterly Employment Survey?"

Download and sign the petition (www.unite.org.nz)

MR 2009/27 - Action needed on pay equity

The government has announced that the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has received an additional $2 million over four years to do more research and policy work on the gender pay gap. More research on the pay gender gap will not help the thousands of women working in jobs where pay inequity has already been proven to exist.

Media Release 2009/27 (0.1mb pdf)

MR 2009/24 - Budget needs to deliver strategic investment in education

NZEI Te Riu Roa will be looking for clear signs in Thursday’s Budget that the government is prepared to make a strategic investment in teaching and learning. In the lead up to the Budget, and in the current economic climate, the government has been strongly pushing a message of fiscal constraint.

Media Release 2009/24 (0.1mb pdf)

Fury over gender pay gap

Helen Kelly, president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, says National's freeze on pay investigations shows their lack of vision.

Fury over gender pay gap (www.stuff.co.nz)

NCWNZ - Pay Equity on the Agenda

"Equal pay for equal work has always been high on the National Council of Women NZ agenda and with women earning an average of 12% less than men, there is still considerable distance to go."

NCWNZ - Pay Equity on the Agenda (0.1mb pdf)

MR 2009/21 - Nail in coffin for pay equity

The government’s decision to scrap the Department of Labour’s Pay and Employment Equity Unit puts the final nail in the pay equity coffin for thousands of low paid women workers, according to the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa.

Media Release 2009/21 (0.1mb pdf)

Sign the Pay Equity Petition (0.1mb pdf)