Women workers are sick of waiting - equal pay now!

Women working full-time earn, on average, nearly 18% less than men working full time. In November 2010, the hourly gender pay gap was 12.2%. Over a lifetime, a woman in Australia will earn $1 million less than a man. In whatever way the numbers are analysed, woman still do not have equal pay despite the 1972 ruling in favour of equal pay for work of equal value. This was almost 4 decades ago - pay up now!

 To mark the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the Minister for the Status of Women announced changed reporting obligations for business under the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act. We cannot take these reforms seriously while you continue to allow gross pay inequality to exist amongst workers employed both directly and indirectly by your government. These reforms also provide no mechanism for actual change.

 We call on your government to take action to close the gender pay gap by:

* Agreeing to provide full funding for the immediate implementation of the Social and Community Sector Equal Remuneration case - including funding to State and Territory governments to meet their obligations

* Acting as a role model by immediately closing the pay gaps in the Federal public service which have lead to agencies employing higher numbers of female and Indigenous workers being the lowest paid

Equal pay can be funded immediately by taxing big business and redirecting funds from spending on war and corporate welfare.