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EI Material
Pay equity is a basic human right and social justice issue. To devalue and deny resources to one group of people is a denial of social and human rights.
EI is committed to combat all forms of discrimination in education and society and therefore EI undertook a 5 year campaign to promote pay equity with Public Services International.
Pay equity analysis shows that female-dominated occupations are paid less than jobs usually performed by men. Three occupations have a particular high proportion of women: secretaries, teachers and nurses. Over 94% of teachers in pre-primary education are women, they represent 58% of teachers in primary education and 47% in secondary education.
In education, the jobs where women mainly work (early childhood and primary) are considered to be easier because of the age of the children. Reading and numeracy are seen as basic educational skills; teaching them is equated with what is taught and not with the skills required to teach young children. Early levels of education are perceived as requiring skills believed to be more natural for women – looking after young children. This work is considered less demanding than work with older students requiring specialised knowledge.
In addition, work in the education sector is paid at a lower level than other occupations requiring the same level of high skills and qualifications. EI found out that women employed in the education sector are often paid a lower level of bonus or additional allowances, and do not receive as much as men in benefits or entitlements e.g. housing supplements, bonuses, etc.
Pay equity is an issue for both men and women working in education. The pay and conditions of men working in education, and the quality of the teaching environment, are affected by their working in a ‘feminised’ sector. Ensuring pay equity across the teaching service and the labour market will generally be beneficial to men as well as women.
EI Resource Kit
“Pay Equity: How?” is a resource kit developed by EI to raise awareness about the issue of Pay Equity. It provides basic information and ideas for union delegates and negotiators to assist with developing collective bargaining strategies to remove pay inequities.
The kit sketches out strategies for action on pay equity through organising members, getting the facts and entering into collective bargaining.
EI Manual
“Pay Equity Training and Awareness Raising Union Education manual” is designed to stimulate discussion about pay equity. It is intended for "beginners"; union members and officials who are unfamiliar with the concept of pay equity. The manual will help understand what pay equity means and why it is an important union issue.
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