Pay equity attacked – Government moves to shut down our claims
Rallies and protests have been happening up and down the country – check our Facebook page for photos – https://www.facebook.com/EtuUnion
These ones are still to come.
Invercargill
Protest
Penny Simmon’s office, Kelvin Street
12:30pm, Monday 12 May
Wellington
Care and support workers union hui for pay equity
(All welcome to attend in support)
Parliament Forecourt
1pm, Thursday 22 May
(Note, some E tū members will be attending this as paid stop-work meetings, we will communicate separately about this).
What’s the story?
The National-led Government has launched a full-scale attack on women workers in care and support.
First, they gutted the funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce – the specialists who make the process fair, consistent, and evidence-based.
Now they’re going even further: halting all current claims, changing the rules, and making it almost impossible to win pay equity in future.
This isn’t about “tidying up the process” – it’s about keeping wages low in women-dominated industries like care and support. It’s about saying workers don’t deserve to be paid fairly for this essential work.
Let’s be clear: this is a direct attack on you.
The Minister, Brooke van Velden, doesn’t seem to understand the difference between equal pay and pay equity. Equal pay means a woman and a man doing the same job get the same pay. That’s been the law since 1972.
Pay equity means valuing different jobs with similar skills, effort, and responsibility – like comparing a caregiver to a corrections officer. That’s what we won through the Kristine Bartlett case. That’s what they’re trying to destroy.
E tū members are furious
Marianne Bishop, aged care worker:
“We’ve been fighting for 13 years. To have the rug pulled out now is unbelievable. This removes our road to fairness.”
Tamara Baddeley, home support worker and E tū Industry Convenor:
“This makes me feel f***ing angry. Why should we keep this sector going on poverty wages? This Government is a nest of vipers – they speak with a forked tongue.”
We are still going ahead with our care and support pay equity claim – but the Government is trying to block it before it even gets completed.
The wider care sector is already in crisis. Providers are underfunded, staffing levels are dangerously low, and vulnerable people aren’t getting the care they need. Workers are burning out or leaving the sector entirely.
What’s next?
First up, make sure everyone you work with knows what the National-led Government is doing to us. Share this update.
If you can, attend one of the rallies or hui advertised at the top of this page.
But that won’t be enough on its own.
Your E tū Community Support Industry Council is meeting urgently to plan how we push back. We’re going to take action they can’t ignore.
We will not sit quietly while this Government tries to send women back to the 1970s.
Watch this space – and get ready to fight.
If you want to get further involved, email: payequity@etu.nz