Today marks the start of the period when Australian women effectively turn up at their jobs and work for ‘free’ for the rest of the year because of the gender pay gap.
According to latest figures, on average, Australian women are working for free for 42 days. This equates to the average gap between male and female wages and the number of days left in 2024.
On the up-side, new work rights and higher wages in sectors like aged care are closing the gender pay gap, according to an Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) report released today. This is at a rate three times faster than under prior Coalition governments.
“More needs to be done to completely close the gender pay gap and nobody can ignore the fact that women work an extra 42 days a year to earn the same as men,” said ACTU President Michele O’Neil.
There has been strong progress with the gender pay gap in Australia now at its lowest point ever at 11.5%. Since 2022, the gender pay gap has been closing at a rate of 1.3% per year, compared to 0.4%, under successive Coalition governments.
The ACTU Minding the Gap report outlines 20 Albanese Government reforms which have contributed to the rapid closing of the gap between working men and women’s wages.
One of the key drivers in narrowing the gap has been the federal government’s commitment to fund wage increases of up to 28.5% for workers in undervalued feminised sectors, like aged care.
Other factors include higher wages for award workers, 60% whom are women, as well as growth in full time employment for women, made possible by the right to flexible work and improved paid parental leave.
Analysis in the ACTU report shows that if the previous slow rate of progress under the Coalition had continued, the average full-time working woman in Australia would be a further $1,900 a year worse off than they are now.
This includes the federal Coalition’s opposition to voting against new work rights in Parliament and current threats to abolish multi-employer bargaining, including in aged care.
“Sectors with a majority of women workers pay some of the lowest wages despite these workers providing some of the most valuable services to our community,” said Ms O’Neil.
“Government policies have a direct effect on the underpayment of women workers and the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is closing three times faster under this current government than the previous government. If the Coalition win the next election, there’s no question that ordinary people’s wages will be on the line, particularly working women.
