Media Release                                                            1 November 2017

NZNO welcome Minister for Women’s decision

NZNO applauds the first big move by Minister for Women, Julie Anne Genter to stop the current Employment (Pay Equity and Equal Pay) Bill in its current form and to refer back to the recommendations of the pay equity working group for a redraft.

Industrial Service Manager Cee Payne says the Bill was a step backwards and disheartening after such great progress was made following the Kristine Bartlett Equal Pay Case.

“The flawed Bill put the onus on women to prove inequity and introduced extra barriers for women to be paid fairly for their work. Thousands of working women will be relieved to see it thrown out,” said Cee Payne.

“The Bill gave no opportunity for outstanding pay equity claims to be assessed the same way as Kristine Bartlett’s was. Nurses haven’t established the best pay equity comparison for them yet but the original Bill was off the mark as nurses deserve to establish this without having to jump through hoops.

 “It was deeply unfair to introduce a new law that makes it harder for women to achieve pay equity,” she said.

 "The previous equal pay legislation, which passed its first reading  with a one vote majority, would have created unnecessary hurdles for women seeking equal pay.

"New Zealanders deserve law that upholds their right to take equal pay claims in the most efficient and least costly way. The struggle by Kristine Bartlett for the right for women to have equal pay, needs to be honoured by ensuring we have the best legislation possible,” said Cee Payne.

ENDS.