The cancellation of the care and support workers’ pay equity claim is being put under the microscope, with the PSA and New Zealand Nurses Organisation hosting a special webinar examining what happened, who paid the price and what it would take to settle the claim.
The unions say evidence gathered through the pay equity process found care and support workers were undervalued by between 24 and 38 percent, with women making up much of the workforce across aged care and other support services.
PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says cancelling the claim did not change the underlying evidence, and the union wants opposition parties to commit to settling it within the first 100 days of a new Government.
NZNO says aged-care workers remain among the lowest-paid people in the health workforce despite providing essential care to older New Zealanders.
The webinar will be hosted by Angela Meyer and Tania Dommett from Project Gender’s ShortChanged podcast, alongside representatives from the PSA, NZNO and economic consultancy Victor Consulting.
The panel will examine how undervaluation was calculated, what equitable pay could look like, the potential economic and fiscal implications, and how a future government could progress a settlement.
The online event takes place Thursday 1 October from 3pm to 3.45pm.
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