Take action for equal pay!
Female community sector workers throughout the country will show FWA that they mean business when they unite for a National Day of Action for equal pay tomorrow.
By Yasmin Noone
Thousands of female, not-for-profit community workers from all over the country will take part in a union-led National Day of Action tomorrow to demand equal pay for equal work and an eventual Fair Work Australia (FWA) decision in their favour.
The day of action will occur at a critical point in time for the Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union (ASU) and the long list of other unions listed in the joint application for equal remuneration, currently before FWA.
Only weeks have passed since FWA ruled that female community workers are underpaid compared to their male counterparts. However, the full bench is yet to decide whether or not female workers will be equally remunerated, and if so by how much.
“We’ve made enormous progress already, changing the legal landscape for equal pay claims in the future, but the struggle for wage justice for SACS workers is not over just yet,” the ASU said.
Community workers in the not-for-profit sector, represented by United Voice, Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) and the Australian Workers’ Union (Queensland) are all included in the application and will be affected by FWA’s final decision.
United Voice covers disability and community care workers captured by the Equal Remuneration Order in WA, SA, NT and the ACT, as well as those employed by private providers in NSW.
“We are now at the pointy end of the case and it’s a matter of getting the money in place and getting the rates of pay agreed upon,” said United Voice’s assistant national secretary, Sue Lines.
“The National Day of Action is really an opportunity for SACS workers to get together and show employers and government that there is a significant interest and desire to get better rates of pay from the sector.
“All that is left to do is to determine what the appropriate rates and time frames are, and report that to FWA.
“It’s important that SACS workers get behind the case and be vocal about what they want. They are low paid and deserve more.”
While there is public information available about the date, times and locations of national action, little has been said about what form the action will take.
“It will be a fun event with dancing and singing,” Ms Lines said. “But it’s a bit of a secret.”
“The workforce is predominately female. Women express their support for causes in different ways sometimes to men, so it will be a celebration.”
“Militant action is not what the case is about. It’s a celebration of the work that’s done so they can get together and voice their support for higher wages.”
So far, the full bench has mostly leaned in favour of the unions, while even many responding employers have agreed with their claim.
If the full bench however does eventually rule in favor of the applicants, the decision will impact the working lives of about 200,000 community workers and have far-reaching implications for others also wishing to use the new equal remuneration laws embedded in the Fair Work Act.
The community sector is largely reliant on government funding to run its essential services and to pay the wages of the workers.
“This case is setting the benchmark for equal remuneration in the sector,” she said.
“It is the opportunity to the set rates of play. In the past, we have been constrained by the rules of industrial tribunals. Now, under FWA, we have a reasonable set of laws to address inequities in pay.
“It’s critical to get this right for the sector. It’s not like we can go back and do it again. It’s really important to get it right!”
