The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has referred to recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data claim that women are generally worse off when they enter into individual contracts of employment.
The data, released last week, confirms an analysis delivered at last year’s Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Conference that women were disadvantaged with respect to superannuation because of generally lower wage rates and the time they spend out of the work force.
However, the ACTU seeks to go further in claiming that the types of agreements under which women are employed can directly affect their income levels.
The ACTU claims the ABS data shows that the gender wage gap has widened in the past ten years with women now earning up to $150 a week less than their male counterparts.
“Women on individual contracts earn $5.10 an hour less than men on individual contracts. Based on womens’ average hours of work, this adds up to $152.00 a week less than men,” the ACTU said.
The peak union body said that non-managerial women on individual contracts earned around $2.50 an hour or $70 an week less than women on registered collective agreements.
It said the picture for women that are permanent part-time employees engaged on individual contracts was also shocking with these women earning on average $5.00 an hour or $141 a week less than their female counterparts on collective agreements and they also they earn on average $1.00 an hour or $28 a week less than women who are paid under awards.
