|
|
|
New Zealand NZEI Te Riu Roa
The importance of collective bargaining, collective agreements and union organisation to close the gender pay gap has been proved in New Zealand.
Between 1975 and 1989 the pay gap in New Zealand closed by 15%. In 1990, a new government introduced legislation that removed union rights and promoted individualised arrangements over collective agreements and bargaining.
In the decade that followed, when collective bargaining was limited, the pay gap closed by only a further 3%. A significant portion of that closure was the successful campaign by EI affiliate, NZEI, who maintained national collectives and bargaining to achieve pay parity between primary and secondary teachers.
The gender pay gap in New Zealand continues to narrow slowly with the Ministry of Women's Affairs attributing improvement in the economy for such a gain (Ministry of Women's Affairs, 1997). Because women continue to be employed in predominantly clerical, retail and service work where unionisation is low and there are no national collective agreements, the narrowing of the pay gap continues to be very slow.
|
|
|
