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Women in the workforce. Julia Perry. 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
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Women in the workforce Julia Perry
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.
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
NFAW - Recent Campaigns • Workchoices • Welfare to Work • Paid maternity/Parental leave • Child care: outside school hours care • Sex discrimination • Gender pay equity
Women’s financial disadvantages • Fewer in employment • Wage differentials across the board • Concentration in traditional women’s 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
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
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.
Award Modernisation – allowable conditions • Maximum weekly hours of work • Request for flexible working arrangements • Parental leave and related entitlements • Annual leave • Personal/Carer’s leave and compassionate leave • Community service leave • Long service leave • Public holidays • Notice of termination and redundancy pay • Fair Work Information Statement
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?
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
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