Equal skills don’t equal wage 11-40 3rd March 2008

Skilled women are still being paid less than their male counterparts, says Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard. 

"When you compare men and women's earnings, there is a persistent gender gap, and there's some evidence to suggest it has worsened in the recent period,” explained Gillard to the Australian. "There are times when women who present with equal skills still get offered a lower deal. We need to diagnose what the factors are there."

This week an international report will be released, confirming the average female income has dropped from 87c for every male earned dollar in 2004, to the current 84c.

"It is concerning when you see data like that where there doesn't easily appear to be an objective explanation," she says. "Pay equity audits work overseas and they should be done here."

"But we've got to see a greater intersection between the tools of Fair Work Australia and equal opportunity laws and more robust class action.”
"With the labour market as tight as it is we can't afford to be excluding from our workforce people who want to work and are being prevented from working. The economic benefit of that overrides all else."