Latest Update
Bargaining starts on 14 and 15 May
We’ve reached another milestone in your pay equity claim: establishing that your work is undervalued when compared with comparable male-dominated roles. This month we’ll get into bargaining – it’s our opportunity to correct this undervaluation and have your worth recognised.
This first bargaining sessions will be on 14 and 15 May.
This is an exciting step, with a lot of hard work to come. Read on to find out how you can get involved to support this round of bargaining.
Wear purple on 14 and 15 May to show your support
In 2021, library workers and their supporters wore purple mark the second anniversary of the claim. It was an awesome show of support, and we want to see that again as bargaining gets underway.
Wear purple to work on 14 and 15 May to show your support for our bargaining team. We’ll take pictures of everyone and share them on social media, like we did in 2021.
We’ll host bargaining update webinars in late May and early June
Once this first bargaining session is over, we’ll host webinars to update you on how it all went, and to answer your questions. We’ll also launch the next actions we’ll take to support the claim.
We’ll record the webinars and use your questions to expand the FAQ section of this page, so you’ll be able to access the information even if you can’t make the webinars.
We’re aiming to host these in late May and early June – we’ll finalise the details closer to the time.
Background
"We are seeking pay equity to right an historical injustice. Over 80% of library assistants are women. We perform complex roles, but there is little financial reward for doing so.” - Eleanor Hagerty-Drummond, Library Assistant, Wellington City Council, PSA delegate and Library panel member
In May 2019 the PSA notified the six large urban councils that we believe library assistants working in local government suffer from illegal gender-based pay discrimination, and that they have an arguable equal pay claim under the Equal Pay Act 1972
Note: While this claim only pertains to people doing the job of library assistants, the PSA believes that all local government workers who are working in female dominated occupations are likely to suffer from gender-based pay discrimination. This includes other library workers and administration and clerical workers. Our aim is to use equal pay settlements achieved in one occupation, or in another sector, to achieve equal pay across our membership.
Frequently asked questions
It is the difference between women and men’s earnings. Research shows men earn on average 10% more than women in New Zealand (2022). It is even more stark when it’s broken down by ethnicity.
Pay equity means people in female dominated professions and people in male dominated professions receive the same pay for doing jobs that are different, but of equal value. That is, jobs that require similar levels of skills, responsibility, and effort.
The pay equity process establishes the extent of the undervaluation for those traditionally female dominated professions and then negotiates a pay adjustment to remove undervaluation.
Pay for what is traditionally considered as “women’s work” has been lower than the pay for work of a similar value that has historically been performed by men. This is known as occupational segregation.
Another reason is vertical segregation, or the “glass ceiling”. Men are more likely to hold senior, better-paid positions than women, even in female-dominated industries. For example, in teaching the ratio of male principals compared to male teachers is high.
Women also spend a greater proportion of their time on unpaid and caring work than men, and they are more likely to work part time, take breaks in their paid work to undertake caring roles, and be the primary caregivers.
Most of the gender pay gap is driven by conscious and unconscious bias. Stereotypical views about gender leads to women often being offered lower starting rates than men and they are not promoted through salary bands as quickly as male workers.
Yes:
- Pay equity means same pay for doing jobs that are different, but of equal value.
- Equal pay means same pay for doing the same work within a specific workplace.
- Pay parity means same pay for the same job across different employers, organisations, or workplaces. For example, nurses in GP practices don’t have pay parity because they’re paid significantly less than hospital-based nurses despite similar qualifications and experience.
Value is about measuring all the skills, effort and responsibility that go into a role. Pay equity assesses the value of a role including skills, responsibilities, and attributes such as knowledge, problem-solving, communication, and Te Ao Māori.
Our pay equity process uses these factors (and more) to create a profile to compare to positions in male dominated areas. This allows us to establish the undervaluation of the work, which we then seek to address through negotiations.
We use a tool called Te Orowaru to assess your work.
A pay equity claim has four main stages: Raising the claim, assessment, negotiation and maintenance.
Yes, all library assistants in the six councils are covered by this claim, regardless of gender.
A comparator is a role that is doing work of a similar value but that is predominantly performed by men. We compare the roles and their salaries to determine the extent of your undervaluation.
Additionally, a comparator might be a role that is covered by a settled pay equity claim, so even though it is predominantly performed by women we can be confident that their pay is not affected by sex discrimination.
Some comparator roles might look similar to your role, and some could look totally different. For instance, the DHB Admin/Clerical claim used Mechanical Engineers as a comparator!
The comparator roles are confidential until the offer is brought out for ratification (voting). You'll get information about the comparators when it's time for ratification.
Yes, non-members are covered by the claim. The Equal Pay Amendment Act (2020) requires all workers in a profession covered by a pay equity claim to be included in the settlement.
No. The Equal Pay Act 1972 does not contain any provisions for industrial action. This means that if we do have a dispute over pay equity (this is not a given), we need to think about how to demonstrate our collective power without industrial action.
The pay equity process is separate from your collective bargaining, but the outcome of the pay equity settlement will lead to variation in the collective agreement (for example, new salary scales).
We will also agree on a process with the employers to ensure they maintain pay equity in the future. This process may align with the collective agreement dates.
After undervaluation has been established, we move into negotiating a settlement. Everything is up for negotiation including the amount you receive, back pay, and any changes to pay structure.
While we hope to settle the deal quickly, we know councils have many competing priorities. What we do know is that it must come out of councils’ budgets, and it can’t reduce your terms and conditions.
This is why we need a strong campaign to ensure we can bring the deal home!
Those covered by the claim must vote on whether to approve the proposed settlement when we have reached a negotiated outcome. This is for both members and non-members.
When the time comes you will receive an email with more information and electronic voting instructions. We'll also set up communication and webinars and/or meetings to discuss the outcome and for any questions.
When we assessed the work of library assistants, we found no material difference between the scoring for those roles that had additional responsibilities such as Council services and those that did not. We also found almost difference between the scoring of library assistant roles across the six councils. So, we have no evidence to support additional pay between roles or councils (or reduced pay if the councils raise this).
Yes! Settled claims include Allied, Public Health, Scientific and Technical (Te Whatu Ora), NGO Social Workers, Te Whatu Ora Nurses, and DHB Admin and Clerical.
If you aren't one already, find out more about becoming a member of the PSA.
To support the claim, you can:
- join in any collective actions such as wearing purple to support your bargaining team on 23 and 24 July
- talk to your colleagues about the claim and see if their understanding is the same – show them this FAQ
- talk to your colleagues about joining your union and making sure they are a PSA member
- come forward to be a delegate and bring a friend with you. All training is provided in paid work time, and you will learn about your rights at work.
You can find out more about activities in your workplace (or organise your own) by contacting your local PSA Delegate or Library Panel Member.
Pay Equity Resources
To download images for use: Right click and select "save image as".
For more information:
View the presentation by PSA delegate Suzie Moore to the LIANZA conference on the Pay Equity claim for library assistants, presented on 11 November 2021.
Wear Purple for Library Workers!
