Women in the workforce

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Women in the workforce

• Julia Perry

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National Foundation for Australian Women

• To ensure that the aims and ideals of the Women's
  Movement and its collective wisdom are handed on
  to new generations of women and
• To advance and protect the interests of
  Australian women in all spheres, including
  intellectual, cultural, political, social,
  economic, legal, industrial and domestic spheres.

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What NFAW does

• discussion and debate
• promotes research and collection of information
• supplies information to broad Women's Movement
• links/communication between women's organisations
  
• monitors and reports on the situation of women
• encourages studies, research, conferences,
  seminars
• sponsors lectures
• promotes co-operation to advance the interests of
  women
• other general action to advance interests of
  Australian women
• http//www.nfaw.org

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NFAW - Recent Campaigns

• Workchoices
• Welfare to Work
• Paid maternity/Parental leave
• Child care outside school hours care
• Sex discrimination
• Gender pay equity

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Womens financial disadvantages

• Fewer in employment
• Wage differentials across the board
• Concentration in traditional womens work
• Fewer own a business, fewer still own one with
  employees
• Weak industrial bargaining power
• Lack of paid maternity leave
• Casualisation and part-time work
• Lack of family friendly working conditions
• Inadequate child care

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Key labour force statistics
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The gender penalty
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Work choices and women

• No disadvantage test took away award protection
• Individual bargaining disadvantageous to women
  family friendly conditions
• Reduced rights to union support
• Industrial tribunals lost role of wage adjustment
  and test case reforms
• Removal of State jurisdiction
• No pattern bargaining women in SMEs
• No unfair dismissal encouraged covert
  discrimination and harassment
• Welfare to Work parents could not turn down job
  

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Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to
Forward with Fairness) Act 2008

• no new AWAs
• Individual Transitional Employment Agreements
• no-disadvantage test for future workplace
  agreements
• AIRC to start modernising awards.

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Award Modernisation allowable conditions

• Maximum weekly hours of work
• Request for flexible working arrangements
• Parental leave and related entitlements
• Annual leave
• Personal/Carers leave and compassionate leave
• Community service leave
• Long service leave
• Public holidays
• Notice of termination and redundancy pay
• Fair Work Information Statement

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What next in IR?

• Unfair dismissals
• Rights of unions and members
• Pattern bargaining
• Better protection of casual workers
• Regular adjustment of awards
• Test cases to deal with new issues
• Gender pay equity
• Who adjudicates disputes?

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Paid parental leave

• Social and economic reproduction
• Equality for women
• Benefits to babies and parents
• Long term benefits health, emotional,
  cognitive, social
• Role of fathers and paternity leave

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PML models

• Fully Government paid minimum wage?
• Likely to be inadequate flat rate
• Direct employer paid like other forms of leave
• Serious danger of discrimination
• Insurance based scheme employer levy and
  government contribution