The
Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota is challenging newly
appointed Nats Cabinet Minister Hekia Parata to take a lead and
advance the cause of Pay Equity or stand down within her first 90
days.
President
Barbara Wyeth says National’s record on Pay Equity has been abysmal
and with a new woman on the job, Hekia Parata has 90 days to show
she’s serious about advancing women’s economic and working lives.
"Since
National scrapped the Pay Equity laws in 1991 women have continued to
be undervalued and underpaid.
"The
previous Minister Pansy Wong said she would
leave ‘no stone unturned’ to advance the cause of women workers but
seems only to have advanced her husbands’ business interests. The
new Minister has a chance to deliver. In fact we want her to have the
same chance her government has put on new workers who can be sacked
for no reason after 90 days."
"The
National-led government has been great at bailing out failed finance
companies. Now let’s see some of that energy put into closing the 12%
pay gap by the end of March next year" says Barbara Wyeth.
Socialist
Appeal couldn’t agree more with these sentiments but we suggest that
the government needs to be sacked as soon as possible and replaced
with a socialist Labour government!