Unionists have driven real changes to advance gender equality at work, and when workplaces are equal for all genders, they’re safer for everyone. This 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence we want to encourage you to step up to be a workplace activist! There are so many things every worker can do to get the information needed to make work safer and get organised to end gendered violence at work. There are some tips, a checklist and conversation starters at the end of this blog, and links to other topics! Let's get active to end violence.
Unionists have campaigned for and won changes that will help close the gender pay gap, provide better flexibility for working parents, challenge the undervaluation of work in feminised industries like aged care and education, and empower us to fight for equal pay, among other things!
Here’s a snapshot of some huge wins the union movement has campaigned for and won over the past two years alone:
- Ten days of paid family and domestic violence leave: All workers (casual, part-time and full-time) are entitled to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. This is life-saving leave that provides workers experiencing family and domestic violence with the time they need to get support without risking their jobs and financial security.
- Better Parental Leave: Parental leave for all genders ensures that everyone can have adequate time with their family without facing financial strain. Unions fought hard to improve this leave so that more parents can balance family and work, increasing government paid parental leave from 20 – 26 weeks by 2026.
- Superannuation on Paid Parental Leave: Earlier this year workers in union won superannuation on government funded paid parental leave. This win is especially important for women, who historically have missed out on super while undertaking caring responsibilities. This is a massive step towards equal retirement outcomes for women and closing the superannuation gender gap.
- Increased Flexibility: Flexible working arrangements benefit all workers but are especially crucial for those who have care responsibilities. Unions secured improvements in flexible work arrangements, including making it much harder for employers to refuse requests. We should not have to risk our financial security to uphold caring commitments.
- Multi-Employer Bargaining: Multi-employer bargaining empowers workers in low-paid, often female-dominated sectors, like early childhood education, to collectively push for fair wages across a sector. This change has empowered workers like early childhood educators to win significant pay rises of up to 15% to recognise their work and value.
- Ending Pay Secrecy: Pay secrecy policies keep workers in the dark about wage differences, often to the disadvantage of women. Unions fought for the right to discuss pay openly, empowering workers to discuss their wages and challenge wage inequality. Public reporting from organisations has also been improved, meaning you can go and check the pay gap at your workplace – and fight it collectively!
- Same Job, Same Pay: Same Job, Same Pay requires labour hire workers to be paid the same rate as directly employed workers performing the same job. Employers have been outsourcing work to labour hire companies, pitting workers against each other and driving down wages and conditions. Closing this loophole makes it easier to fight together for better wages for all workers – regardless of how they’re employed. Union flight attendants just won a 28% pay rise because of this new law!
- Workplace Justice Visas for Migrant Workers: Migrant workers often face unique vulnerabilities that can make it easier for employers to exploit them. Migrant workers can now apply for workplace justice visas to stay in Australia to pursue workplace claims for issues like underpayment or sexual harassment and hold their employers accountable. This will empower migrant workers to speak up about exploitation at work.
- Casual Conversion to Secure Employment: A clearer, fairer, and stronger process for casual conversion can provide new pathways to secure permanent full-time or part-time employment. Workers in low-paid, insecure employment are less likely to feel empowered to speak up about gender-based violence at work; improving access to secure work for those who want it makes workplaces fairer and safer.
These are huge union wins and they're just the start! It is because of the dedicated campaigning of union members that we have these entitlements that will lead to safer, more equal workplaces free from gender-based violence and why the gender pay gap is the lowest it's ever been.
What’s Next?
The Fight for Reproductive Health Leave and More Workplace Flexibility
There is still more to fight for to ensure our workplaces are safe and equal. We are ramping up the campaign to secure reproductive health leave and workplace flexibility for all workers. The It’s For Every Body campaign argues that every worker, Every Body, should have paid leave and the flexibility they need to manage their reproductive health whether it’s menstruation, menopause, fertility, chronic health issues, preventative health care, or other issues.
Currently, workers, particularly women, are having to use other leave, lose pay and take time away from work to manage their reproductive health because of a lack of action and understanding by employers. Women in particular are retiring early or reducing work hours due to limited accommodations, especially during menopause. Unions are pushing to change that, so all workers have the support they need to manage their health and careers.
Have a look at the checklist below and start a conversation at your workplace.
Activist checklist:
- How many of these changes did you know about? What about your co-workers? Are any of these issues at your workplace?
- Have you and your co-workers looked at your workplace’s gender pay gap on WGEA? How large is the pay gap? How can you can take action at work?
- Have you held a workplace meeting to discuss some of these changes and how you might increase awareness and workplace action around them?
- When was the last time you spoke to a co-worker about joining your union?
- Have you taken our Reproductive Health and Work Survey and shared it with co-workers?
Check out our other 16 Days of Activism - How to be a Workplace Activist Workplace Checklists and Conversation Starters:
Right to family and domestic violence leave
Stopping work-related gender-based violence
Ending sexual harassment - the positive duty