Comments on: If Abbott wants to woo women, he should start with wages

By: adr0ck

adr0ck — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:23:14 +0000

Re: “This is the nub of unequal pay…”

Jocelynne,

So you’re saying that the “nub” of gender pay discrimination is that all professions aren’t equally valued? That’s a treat coming from a lawyer.

Andrew didn’t say trade skills were “valued” more, just that they get paid more for them.

My argument: differences in salary is just a symptom of the cultural attitudes towards women by traditionally male dominated power structures. Paying them equally is a band-aid. Band-aids help, but they’re still band-aids.

Can we still say band-aid or is that a trademark?

By: jocelynne scutt

jocelynne scutt — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:04:10 +0000

I am afraid that Mary Gaudron’s comment about women having ‘won’ equal pay again and again was made far longer than 10 years ago - try 1978, not 1998! The statement was published in an article in the book edited by Heather Radi and Judy Mackinolty, Allen & Unwin, 1979 - papers from a conference on women and the law held at Sydney University in 1978.

Far from women in ‘white collar’ jobs being at an equal pay level, the plague of unequal pay is systemic - see my work, Wage Rage - The Struggle for Equal Pay and Pay Equity - 2007. As for trades - why do plumbing and electrical workers earn more than nurses or teachers!? This is the nub of unequal pay, and those who subscribe to the proposition that somehow plumbing and electrician’s work is ‘worth more’ than nursing and teaching have a sense of priorities which is redolent of the factors, perceptions and assumptions that haunt the equal pay debate and have done so, it seems, since time immemorial.

The Hon. Dr Jocelynne A. Scutt, Barrister & Human Rights Lawyer

By: Andrew G

Andrew G — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:14:06 +0000

“Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Australian women earned just 82.5% of the average male rate of pay across the country in 2009.”

As has been said many times before every time this debate arises, some of the reasons are due to Men being attracted to higher paying jobs, particularly the trades sector (plumbing, electrical) which pay more then nursing or teaching which typically attracts more females. In the ‘white collar’ jobs, you will find the difference in pay for the sexes is non existent.

If you want to raise this debate again Eloise, you can add more weight to your argument if you argue pay differences within the one profession or job type.

I’m not having a go as you’re still a student and I am sure have much to learn and experience for yourself. Just trying to get you thinking a little deeper.