2020 vision or 1920's myopia? Recent developments in gender pay equity in Australia

Progress in gender pay equity has stalled. Equal remuneration provisions in federal labour law have proven to be inadequate. New equal remuneration principles in New South Wales and Queensland held some promise for pay equity activists and were the basis of successful wage increases in female dominated occupations in those jurisdictions. These developments were sidelined by the Work Choices amendments, changes that were also prejudicial to women because of their erosion of industry awards. Federal Labor’s commitment to dismantling aspects of Work Choices is well documented but its specific attention to the deficiencies of federal equal remuneration provisions is less certain.