In May, the Government made a sudden move to scrap the pay equity process. This decision removed the key mechanism designed to address gender-based pay discrimination and brought 33 active pay equity claims to an abrupt halt across a wide range of women-dominated industries. It was a major setback for workers who had been relying on that process to achieve fair pay for work that has been undervalued for generations.
For E tū care and support workers, who won their historic pay equity settlement in 2017, it was a massive blow, with our initial settlement already expired. They were depending on the next stage of the process to secure updated pay rates and properly recognise the complexity of their work.
Because the legislation was pushed through under urgency, workers had no chance to be heard by a parliamentary select committee. In response, a group of former women MPs established the People’s Select Committee, supported by the wider union movement. The committee created a public forum to replace the democratic process that had been denied. E tū members took part from across Aotearoa, talking about their work, the realities of the care sector, and the consequences of stripping away the only meaningful tool for achieving pay equity.
E tū also played a leading role in the nationwide Women’s Day of Action. These events brought together workers, whānau, and communities to send a clear message that pay equity must be restored. From small workplace gatherings to large public rallies, members made their voices heard. They highlighted the essential nature of care work and the continued fight for fair pay.
Home support worker and Convenor of the Community Support Services Industry Council, Tamara Baddeley, helped lead her local Women’s Day of Action event in Napier.
“The Women’s Day of Action was positive and empowering – but it’s a damn shame we still have to fight for what we deserve,” Tamara says. “Whoever gets into Government next year needs to reinstate the pay equity claims as soon as possible, and sign them off as soon as possible, to start giving the women of New Zealand what we have fought so hard for.”
That work has already had an impact. At the Women’s Day of Action, Labour committed to restoring the pay equity process if elected. It is a significant step, won through collective action and determined organising.
The campaign continues. E tū members will keep building momentum, keep telling the truth about what was taken away, and keep fighting to transform care and achieve real pay equity for all women in Aotearoa – taking that message right up to the 2026 general election and beyond.