Update regarding Pay Equity
Kia ora koutou
As you may have seen this week, the Government has put through legislation to amend and change the Equal Pay Act 1972. The changes relate to the framework for addressing pay equity claims.
These changes passed the final stage in Parliament on Wednesday evening, under urgency. Once the bill receives the Governor-General’s Royal Assent it will take effect the following day. It is expected this will happen before the end of this week, or very early next week.
Why does this change impact us?
CCS Disability Action has been actively working towards a settlement in two pay equity claims for the last three years. One claim was for care and support workers, and the second was for frontline managers and coordinators.
The Government’s changes to the Equal Pay Act mean these two claims are now discontinued.
We wanted to acknowledge that this news has come as a shock to all of us. You may be feeling let down by these changes to the Act and I extend my heartfelt aroha to everyone impacted.
We are also very disappointed that we are unable to progress these claims and ensure our staff are recognised for the truly valuable work you do. We have worked really hard over the last 3 years to try and reach a settlement that ensured our staff received a fair rate of pay, and we are disappointed that with this change to the act we are unable to complete this work in the way we would have liked.
We wanted to share some information that may help you understand this announcement and what might happen next.
What is a pay equity claim?
Pay equity claims are raised in workforces or sectors where work is or has been predominantly performed by women and is currently or has been undervalued on the basis of gender. A claim is raised to ensure that people are paid equally for work of equal value. The process for working through a pay equity claim is included in the legislation and involves cooperation between unions and employers.
What does the law change mean for impacted staff?
The change means two current claims impacting CCS Disability Action staff will be discontinued. Pay equity claims can still be made but must be started again and there are several changes to the process around these claims. These changes include changes to the threshold for raising a claim, changes to the way a claim is progressed and changes to the comparators that may be used.
What happens now?
We recognise that this may be an unsettling and upsetting time.
While there is much that sits outside of our organisation’s control, here are the things we are committed to:
Continue to work with Peak Bodies and other Employers to ensure our frontline staff are remunerated appropriately for the complex and valued work they do.
Continue to advocate for increased funding from Government departments that fund our work.
Continue to show our team we value their mahi so they can keep making a difference for the people we support.
Continue to build a workforce aligned with our vision and values so that disabled people and whānau hauā receive high-quality support from us.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have any questions, please contact Kate.Single@ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz.
You are also welcome to contact our union partners – E tū.
If you would like more information on the pay equity process to date, there is detailed information on our Staff Portal about both claims. This will be updated, to reflect this week’s changes.
You can find this here: https://www.ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz/staff-pay-equity
A reminder that these are the login details you’ll need:
Email address: staff@ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz
Password: Blue$Bears208
Ngā mihi nui
Kate Single
Human Resource Manager
CCS Disability Action, National Office