Equal pay bill this session

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32959, 4 July 1972, Page 1

Equal pay bill this session

C.Vem Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 3.

Equal pay legislation was certain to be introduced into Parliament this session and he expected it would be passed, the Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) said today.

He had been asked at the press conference after the Cabinet meeting about speculation that the Government might not introduce the measure this year.

Mr Marshall said that the legislation was being drafted now. The final form had not yet come to the Cabinet for consideration.

A number of representa-

tions had been made to the Government about the proposal, he said. Some wanted it expedited and others wanted delay. The Government would consider all representations in adequate time to ensure that the bill could be considered by Parliament. Trade unionists have called on the Government to honour its promises and the Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity has sent a telegram to Mr Marshall asking if the Government was considering delays. The president of the council (Mrs R. M. King) said she had asked to meet Mr Marshall and Cabinet Ministers if delay was considered. She said she believed the Government would not delay this legislation; the employers were just restating points they had made to the commission set up to report on equal pay. “They’re just not giving up,” she said. “The introduction of equal pay is not as dramatic as they’re making

out in efforts to get it delayed. “They’re talking about increases of 90 or 100 per cent for some women. But this is just a measure of the injustice,” said Mrs King. The secretary of the Federation of Labour (Mr W. J. Knox) said the F.O.L. “would not tolerate secret discussions.” The Government should honour its promise and introduce the legislation this session.

The secretary of the Clerical Workers’ Union (Mr D. Jacobs) said that secret negotiations by the employers, as had been alleged, were making a mockery of the commission’s findings. “The legislation will not be fully implemented until April, 1977,” he said. "What more do they want?” “At the moment there is a lot of innuendo and inference that the Government is going to delay this. If their promises are to be believed, they should not retract this one,” said Mr Jacobs.