The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment and Workplace Relations has asked the ABN to contribute to its inquiry on women’s equal opportunities in the workforce, including pay equity. The deadline to lodge submissions is 28 August.
Some of the questions the inquiry would like to answer are: What are the trends? What needs to be done? What are the priority areas? What have been the most successful initiatives? Which policies are most effective? What are the lessons learnt? Is there enough information available to employers and employees? What improvements can be made to the current approach? Which policies need to be changed? What legislative changes are needed? The Committee is interested in hearing our point of view on (but not limited to):
- The adequacy of current arrangements to ensure fair access to training and promotion for women who have taken maternity leave and/or returned to work part time and/or sought flexible work hours
- The need for further legislative reform to address pay equity in Australia
- The adequacy of recent and current equal remuneration provisions in state and federal workplace relations legislation
- Current structural arrangements in the negotiation of wages that may impact disproportionately on women
- The need for education and information among employers, employees and trade unions in relation to pay equity issues
- The adequacy of current data to reliably monitor employment changes that may impact on pay equity issues.
If you’d like to contribute to our submission, please send your comments to susan@abn.org.au. For further information on the inquiry, visit www.aph.gov.au/ewr.
