Claim For Equal Pay For Women

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29746, 13 February 1962, Page 14

Claim For Equal Pay For Women

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 12. Claims for equal pay for women working in clerical positions with local bodies were put to the Arbitration Court today. Mr P. M. Butler, representing the Taranaki, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson and Westland Local Bodies’ Officers, included the claims in his submission to the Court requesting a general wage increase.

“In this claim we respectfully ask the Court to move one step towards this internationally accepted principle by removing the female scale from this award and covering all employees by the one scale.” said Mr Butler.

“The political, social and legal equality for women in New Zealand should be completed by economic equality and we rely on the Court to round off this proud position by ensuring wage justice. “Wage discrimination in the form of a separate scale against women in local government employment is based not on job content, qualification or skill, but on sex alone.”

Mr Butler, in his submission, asked the Court to extend scale rates “to the fullest possible extent.” “Clerical workers in local government service or other spheres of commerce or industry perform important and responsible duties.

“It is doubtful if our complex society could function without them.” he said. In New Zealand local government was in a period of transition subject to the needs of a growing population said Mr Butler.

“Some municipalities which were important a few years ago are slipping backward while places which were small yesterday are today vigorous centres of industry and population.” These and other factors produced problems in negotiating and determining

adequate salaries and a classified list of local government officers. Mr Butler said an officer in any municipality covered by the relevant award filled a niche and performed responsible duties for years. He did this because there was no further niche in the organisation to which he could aspire. His only minimum protection was the seal rate in the award.

“The position is not satisfactory, but a mutually acceptable alternative has not yet been found. Such will ultimately come, but, in the meantime, we are forced to rely on the scale rates.” Mr P. L. Oldham, representing the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, opposed Mr Butler’s submissions.

Mr Justice Tyndall reserved his decision.