‘A great day for women and community workers’
Fair Work Australia (FWA) has recognised that women working in the aged care sector are among thousands of female social and community service (SACS) industry employees currently underpaid – simply because of their sex.
In a landmark national equal pay case this week, the full bench of FWA ruled that women working in the SACS industry are not paid the same as their male colleagues for the same or comparable work.
“In this decision, we have concluded that for employees in the SACS industry, there is not equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal or comparable value, by comparison with workers in state and local government employment,” the full bench ruled.
The Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union (ASU) application for equal remuneration has been regarded by many as another step in the fight for total gender pay equality because women form the majority of employees working in the SACS industry and in the health sector overall.
NSW ASU secretary, Sally McManus, said: “This is a great day for women and a great day for community workers. At last we have had the value of our work recognised and everyone is on notice that an increase in wages is on the way.”
The application, initially lodged in March 2010, covers females working in the aged and community care sector who are also members of Health Services Union (HSU), The Australian Workers’ Union of Employees, Queensland (AWU Queensland) and United Voice (UV).
