1972
The Government passes the Equal Pay Act 1972, which makes it illegal to pay women less than men for doing the same work. Inequity remains, as women-dominated work continues to be undervalued.
September 2012
E tū member Kristine Bartlett files a claim, arguing that the low rates of pay in the care sector are the result of systemic gender-based pay discrimination, therefore violating the Equal Pay Act, as pay rates do not reflect the true value of the work.
April 2017
After a lengthy legal battle, the case is settled with the Government passing the Care and Support Workers (Pay Equity) Settlement Act 2017. Workers win record pay increases – some up to 50%!
July 2022
The settlement is set to expire. The Government agrees to extend the Act, but does not raise pay rates more than 3% for 18 months. Unions file a new claim with 15 employers. The claim uses ‘comparator jobs’ (for example, caregivers compared with corrections officers), to establish what care workers should be paid. E tū calls on the Government to fund a true pay equity settlement.
November 2023
A long review of work is completed with no assurance of funding for a proper pay equity deal. The unions launch a second claim that includes more than 100 employers in the sector.
December 2023
The extended Settlement Act expires, leaving care and support workers with no guarantee of pay rates above the minimum wage. Unions present a petition with nearly 10,000 signatures to Te Whatu Ora, calling for them to urgently fund the settlement.
May 2024
The National-led Government disestablishes the Pay Equity Taskforce, robbing workers, unions, and employers of an essential tool for taking and processing pay equity claims. Union members vote to elevate the claim to the Employment Relations Authority.
Right now
The Government has just delivered Budget 2024 and there is no commitment to fund our pay equity settlement for care and support workers. We will soon find out how much money has been allocated to agencies responsible for care and support, and we will be fighting for a true pay equity settlement, including at rallies across the country in July.
