Rhetoric v Reality Diversity

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Rhetoric v RealityDiversity Workplace Reform

• Scott Barklamb
• Assistant Director Workplace Relations
• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  (ACCI)
• 2006 Diversity Council Conference
• Sydney Convention Centre Darling Harbour
• Thursday 26 October 2006

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DIVERSITY AND WR REFORM

• Many predictions on WR reform for
• Diversity
• Specific employees (women, NESB etc)
• Very negative predictions.
• From
• Unions Opposition
• Academia Activist groups
• EEO agencies tribunals State govts

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ATTACKS ON WORKCHOICES

• Sharan Burrow (2005)
• bleak future for Australian women
• make things worse
• death of equality

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NOTHING NEW

• Predictions that workplace reform will hurt
  diversity are nothing new
• 1996 re AWAs
• 1993 re EFAs
• Each time significant reform proposed
• Current attacks on WC part of a pattern
• Constant refrain from opponents
• Workplace reform will disadvantage the most
  vulnerable
• especially individual bargaining

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So What are the facts?
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WOMENS EMPLOYMENT

• Female U 5.4 (1993 12.5)
• - Lowest on record
• Participation 57.9
• - Highest on record

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WOMENS EMPLOYMENT

• Since WorkChoices commenced
• 120,000 new jobs for women
• (Men 94,000)
• 90,000 of these Full Time
• Female employment steaming ahead
• Hardly validates detriment theory

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WOMENS EMPLOYMENT

• 39 mothers of under 2s working
• Much higher maternal employment by each age of
  child since 1985.
• B/c WR system providing flexibility
• (New ABS data on mothers (Nov 05 data))
• 44 use flex hours
• 39 use part time work
• 27 work from home

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WOMENS EMPLOYMENT

• Womens employment certainly not suffering
  through WR reform as opponents predicted.
• If they were right mothers would have been driven
  out and women discouraged.
• More women working playing key role in prosperity
  and growth.

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PAY EQUITY

• Predicted to suffer from WR reform
• Jennie George (1998)
• Howard governments assault on awards and
  powers of the IRC, as well as the introduction of
  individual contracts, represent the biggest
  threat to womens slow but steady advance towards
  equal pay

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WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

• Gender pay gap significantly narrowed.

AWAs
WC
AWOTE female to male ratio
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PAY EQUITY

• 14.9 May 2005 (22 year low)
• Disparity continued to narrow
• Predictions not borne out wolf cried
• Best thing will be more bargaining

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PAID MATERNITY LEAVE

• Major gender issue debated re WC
• New ABS report this week (Nov 05 data)
• - 34 mothers using paid mat leave
• - 47 using paid leave when pregnant.
• DEWR data shows can bargain for leave
• Shows reform (including AWAs) not anti paid
  maternity leave.

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HIGH LABOUR DEMAND

• Most important point for diversity
• WR Reform unprecedented job demand
• Job demand cuts through attitudes
• Forces employers to
• Engage new groups
• Provide new flexibilities
• Focus on retention

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EXAMPLE OF REFUGEES

• Reform driven demand gets them into workplaces
  breaks down barriers
• More workplaces experience working with refugees
• Does more to change attitudes than EEO promotion
  litigation
• More people experience working with new
  nationalities quicker
• More chance for experience to break down
  prejudice
• And flexibility allows for prayer etc.

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IMPACT OF WR REFORM

• Not as opponents would have it
• Reform positive for diversity
• - Rhetoric / myths not come to pass
• Prejudice politics not borne out
• Wolf has been cried on diversity
• Would have less diversity without WR reform.
• - Previous union opposition to PT work

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Conclusion Diversity - The way forward
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WAY FORWARD

• Continue culture change promotion
• Work of DCA very positive
• Separate attitudes to reform from diversity
• Maintain longer term efforts for diversity
• Embrace new opportunities for diversity
• Continue reform no rollback
• Never so strong a position for diversity

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Rhetoric v RealityDiversity Workplace Reform

• Scott Barklamb
• Assistant Director Workplace Relations
• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  (ACCI)
• 2006 Diversity Council Conference
• Sydney Convention Centre Darling Harbour
• Thursday 26 October 2006