Podcasts about pay equity

Just under two weeks ago the government passed the pay equity amendment bill under urgency. This bill would change existing pay equity legislation to make it more restrictive, which the government says will save billions of dollars.  The process was originally introduced to address issues of pay inequity between sectors. While the Equal Pay Act mandates that people working the same job are paid the same regardless of gender, Pay Equity is meant to ensure industries dominated by women are not paid less than similar industries dominated by men. The process has worked by allowing applicants to compare their positions with positions in other sectors with similar workloads, skills, or experience.  The government's changes will limit the criteria for comparators, allow only industries with over 70% women in the workforce as opposed to the previous 60%, and removing the ability for the authority to award back pay, among other changes.  These changes have been met with criticism from rights organisations, advocacy groups, and opposition parties. In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the government's reasoning behind the Pay Equity Amendment Bill. 

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about personalised gene therapy treatment, using molecules to crack passcodes, and Olympic pool bombing.  In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Pay Equity in light of the government's recent changes.  They also spoke to Professor Terryann Clark from the University of Auckland about social media use among young people.  Producer Faith spoke to the Dr Chanelle Duley, an economics lecturer at the university of Auckland, about how financial technology can be used for good, and what we need to be cautious of. She also spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the university's physics department about deep tech, and how NZ can better utilise it. 

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about personalised gene therapy treatment, using molecules to crack passcodes, and Olympic pool bombing.  In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Pay Equity in light of the government's recent changes.  They also spoke to Professor Terryann Clark from the University of Auckland about social media use among young people.  Producer Faith spoke to the Dr Chanelle Duley, an economics lecturer at the university of Auckland, about how financial technology can be used for good, and what we need to be cautious of. She also spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the university's physics department about deep tech, and how NZ can better utilise it. 

Coverage of the outcry sparked by the sudden change to legislation for pay equity claims - and how one rude word in one newspaper column derailed the debate. Also - AI at the BBC: how the world's biggest broadcaster is using AI in news and programmes. Read more about this episode of Mediawatch on the RNZ websiteThe sudden change to legislation for pay equity claims sparked a huge political outcry pumped up when one columnist used one very rude word in one newspaper column. How did the media sift the facts from all the political friction?Also: this week the BBC's top boss said social media platforms and disinformation endanger democracy – but the world's biggest broadcaster could help reverse this.Cutting-edge AI technology will be blended with BBC journalism for “a healthy core of fact-based news” that could benefit the world.The BBC boss tasked with looking into the future of technology tell us how the BBC already puts AI into news and documentaries in ways you might not expect.In this episode:01:10 – Hayden Donnell on coverage of pay equity legislation sidetracked by the party political spin.12:17 – Colin Peacock on the so-called c-bomb in the Sunday Star Times also derailing the debate. 20:00 – Laura Ellis tells us how the BBC is deploying AI for news and programmes.Learn more:Mediawatch: Political rows and newspaper column blur focus on pay equity | RNZ NewsMediawatch: AI and the BBC | RNZ NewsGuests:Laura Ellis - BBC head of technology forecastingIf you have any thoughts for us - or ideas for us to follow up - get in touch. E-mail mediawatch@rnz.co.nz. You'll also find us @MediawatchNZ on X.Follow Mediawatch and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Find more RNZ Podcasts at the new section of the RNZ website at rnz.co.nz/podcastsGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Labour's leader says he would reverse the Government's pay equity changes - but that doesn't mean going back to how things were before. Laws passed under urgency last week halted 33 existing pay equity claims, and increased the threshold for future filings. Chris Hipkins says he can't be specific about which settings Labour would reinstate if returned to Government next year. He explained they don't want to do what National did - and again halt claims that might be 18 months down the track. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's lightning blitz on pay equity claims has left whole sectors devastated, and the public confused about what just happened The opposition, unions and media have all been accused of scaremongering on the pay equity legislation. But the issue's been clouded by the government's actions, which left no time for debate.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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The Opposition Leader's welcoming Government investment into school attendance. $140 million from this year's Budget will go towards a new system and better data monitoring. Labour leader Chris Hipkins wanted truancy officers reintroduced two years ago when he was PM. Hipkins told John MacDonald it's clear disbanding the previous truancy service in 2012 was the wrong decision. He says it's a good step in the right direction, and gives credit where credit is due. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both National and Labour are accusing the other of lying about the government's pay equity overhaul. The tit-for-tat surrounds the opposition's claim that the coalition is cutting women's pay - National says that's a lie. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

Labour says the government's move to quash thirty-three pay equity claims is rough economic justice for half the population. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

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Chris Luxon says Labour is spreading lies about Government pay equity changes. Legislation rushed through under urgency last week cancels ongoing claims of gender-inequity in pay - and raised the bar for applying. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins spoke on social media saying the Prime Minister's taking money out of women's pay packets. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says Chris Hipkins has dug his heels in over his position - but it feels like a leap. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran activist and protestor John Minto joins us LIVE tonight at 9pm to talk about the findings by the ICPA that police unlawfully pepper-sprayed and arrested him at a pro-Palestinian protest in Christchurch in February 2024Clashes in Parliament today between the Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins over who is lying about the overhaul of the pay equity regime as this continues to be a terrible look for this government. Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced the allocation of $100m for the Elevate venture capital fund in a pre-Budget speech focused on government measures to lift economic growth through lifting productivity, exports, and encouraging direct foreign investment and to boost high-growth technology companies with strong export potential.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

The Prime Minister has hit back at critics of the coalition's pay equity shake-up - saying some of the reaction has been out-of-line and unacceptable. A law change - pushed through under urgency last week - has raised the threshold for workers to prove they've been poorly paid due to their gender. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Finance Minister's keeping a cool head, despite being the subject of some colourful language in yesterday's papers. The Post's Andrea Vance wrote a column on Sunday levelling the c-word at Nicola Willis - as well as Judith Collins, Louise Upston, Nicola Grigg, Brooke van Velden and Erica Stanford in response to the Government's pay equity changes. Nicola Willis says she's used to criticism and insults as part of politics, but she's voiced concerns about the implications for other women. "I always think about other young women who want to go into politics, and I don't want them to think that it's okay to have their gender weaponised against them - and I don't want any young women to think there's a difference between girl maths and boy maths. It's called maths." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National has announced it is stepping up its commitment to pursue a ban on social media for under-16s. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Corin Dann.

This Sunday edition of the House is a compilation of the week's reporting, including: coverage of the Government's surprise Equal Pay Amendment Bill, and the farewell of retiring Labour journeyman David Parker. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Government's pushed their new pay equity changes through - and it's prompted some noticeable backlash. The Bill, halting pay equity claims and raising the threshold to lodge a claim based on gender discrimination, passed this week under urgency. Hundreds of protestors turned up outside Ministerial offices around the country in opposition. NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor says these changes left Kiwis feeling 'blindsided' - and it felt like a 'perfect storm' making these changes so close to the Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of people from Dunedin to Auckland took to the streets this week to protest the government's new Pay Equity Amendment Bill. It was pushed through parliament this week under urgency. 

Angry women who rallied around the country on Friday say they're under attack from the government's sudden change to pay equity laws. The changes, rushed through parliament this week, make it harder for workers in woman- dominated professions to make a case for their pay to increase in line with equivalent jobs done by men. They've stopped 33 claims in their tracks - and many of those affected took to the streets. Rowan Quinn reports.

In Focus on Politics, RNZ Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch breaks down the government's shock shake-up of the pay equity regime - the changes, the fallout and what's next. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

John MacDonald was joined this morning by Megan Woods and Vanessa Weenink, to delve into some of the biggest issues of the week. It's been a big week for Weenink, who holds the electorate seat for Banks Peninsula – she gave an update on the State of Emergency in the area, and her thoughts on the response. Pay equity was the big topic of the week – it's been revealed National Party members were told about the plan last week – how did Weenink feel at the time? And David Parker believes it's time for MMP to go – does his stance hold merit? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders across the nation to made their voices heard, and rallied against the coalitions decision to amend the Fair Pay agreement that passed in 2020.Pope Leo XIV, an American from Chicago Illinois, announced 24 hours after the conclave started.The Australian Labor party had a clean sweep in their recent election, re-electing Anthony Albanese. We look at what lead to this historic win, and what lessons Labour NZ could learn from not just Australia, but Canada and America as well.================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

One of the country's leading experts on pay equity has described the government changes in one word - appalling. 

The government on Wednesday rushed through controversial law changes that raised the threshold for proving work, that's mainly been done by women has been historically undervalued when compared to male dominated jobs, that require similar skills. It means that more than 30 claims that were part way through the process must start over. Jo-Chanelle Pouwhare spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nationwide protests are taking place on Friday in response to the government's controversial pay equity law change. Political reporter Lillian Hanly reports.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour Minister Stuart Nash and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The first photos of Mark Lundy have appeared in the Herald. Should these photos have been released at all? The pay equity saga continues, with protests planned around the country for tomorrow. Did the Government stuff this up? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the last day of school in Parliament yesterday. It happens after MPs sit through urgency, they get restless, excitable, a bit crazy. They were shouting, interrupting, it was a bit chaotic - even Gerry Brownlee finished question time saying this has not been our finest hour. Opposition MPs, particularly women, were up in arms and incensed over the Pay Equity bill for the second day in a row. The question for National is whether this outrage in Parliament will translate to outrage at the ballot box. 33 claims cancelled and must start again. Sure, there's a new legal framework set up with high thresholds for pay equity claims. But Labour is doing it's darndest to create the impression there's not. That this is the end of the road for low-paid workers of the fairer sex. Dutton was emasculated at the polls last Saturday in part because he wasn't well liked by women. The red landslide swept his heartland, handed Albo the win, and cost him his unfortunately named seat of Dickson. In Brisbane's Northern suburbs and across Queensland new residents, young voters, and women broke for Albo. It was a big part in Dutton's down trou. So, the question for National is whether it's just created a problem for 2026? Will women voters give Luxon a swift kick in the gonads next year? The bill creates a risk of them doing so. To counter that you've got the sell the changes. Right now, in the fog of war, they're not getting cut through. The critics, the Jan Tinetti's, are winning the PR war at present. When the dust settles, they need to explain, with specific examples, which of those 33 deals in the pipeline or deals done thus far were bad or rotten and why. Why is it important we save billions? What's it good for? This is not to say all women vote the same or even together in a bloc. Life's not one big sisterhood of the travelling pants. Every woman is different and doesn't necessarily vote on their gender. After all, women didn't show up for Kamala last November, even though MSNBC was basically saying Trump removed your womb. Women ditched Labour after Jacinda left the building and the Nats picked them up. The pay equity bill is a risk to that support, a bit of a gamble - not one that can't be overcome, but you've got to sell your story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A kick in the guts and a blatant shameful attack on women. That's how critics have described changes to pay equity legislation that have been rammed through parliament. The changes put an immediate stop to more than 30 claims that are currently underway - they'll have to start over. It's also now harder to meet the threshold for an equity claim. An eligible industry has gone from needing 60 percent to 70 percent of women for at least ten years. The minister responsible for the changes, Brooke Van Velden spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government's radical overhaul of pay equity laws is having its final reading in Parliament, with opposition parties fuming that the controversial reforms are being rail-roaded through under urgency. Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden on Tuesday announced the government will raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Nick James filed this report from Parliament.

This week, the New Zealand government has pushed through with urgency, the introduction of a Pay Equity Amendment Bill which makes changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972, making the criteria for pay equity claims stricter, and discontinuing thirty three existing claims, which were representing thousands of workers. While coalition party politicians say the amendment would benefit women and could save ‘billions', opposition parties and community commentators reject these notions and have expressed disappointment and frustration at the lack of opportunity for public engagement on the issue. Producer Sara spoke with University of Auckland teaching fellow Simon Schofield about the issue. She began the interview by asking why this bill is so problematic

The Government has rushed through changes to the Equal Pay Act that will make it harder for workers to make claims of unfair pay based on gender discrimination They claim it save billions. Hawkes Bay care worker Crissie Chaplin got in touch with the panel to tell us how pay equity changed her life...

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Let me make a prediction for you on this pay equity drama that's been playing out for the last 24 hours - the Government is going to pay for this in a big way. I reckon that this could become one of the defining moments of this Government when we look back on it in years to come. Kind of like the 'Mother of All Budgets' came to define Ruth Richardson and Bolger's Government and the way the cup of tea came to define David Lange's Government - I think this is a moment for this Government. Not because it's the wrong thing for this Government to do, but because of the underhanded and sneaky and cowardly way that they have done it. Now, I personally think that the pay equity system did need an overhaul. I mean, I think it is ridiculous to have librarians, as I said yesterday, compare themselves to engineers to justify similar pay. You can see those jobs are not even the same, right? But I do not think that it should have been rushed through with the shock and awe that it has been. ACT, in particular, has spent so much time in the past criticizing the previous Labour government for using parliamentary urgency to get around normal processes and keep people out of deliberations. And yet, here they are doing exactly the same thing because it suits them. And this is significant. It should have been flagged with people because it affects so many people - and yet, there was no indication whatsoever until yesterday that this was going to happen. Where was it on the list of the Prime Minister's action plans for the first quarter, or even the 2nd quarter or any quarter? It's just popped up absolutely out of nowhere and it's taken everybody by surprise. And what's more, they need to stop pretending in Government that this isn't being done in a hurry to have an impact on the Budget. This is being done in a hurry to save money for the Budget. We know that - because David Seymour said so yesterday. So everyone, and especially the National Party, needs to pretend that this is being done for some sort of principle, when actually what it's being done for is to save billions and billions and billions of dollars. The primary problem here, I think, is cowardice. It feels like these guys are rushing this through as quickly as possible with as little notice as possible, so they do not have to own their own decision. They should own it. It's not a bad decision, but they're making it feel like a bad decision. And I'll tell you what, oppositions can sense weakness - and they know that these guys are weak on this and they're going to strike on it, which is why I think this Government is itself making this a defining moment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After many hours of debate, MPs have reached the final stage of the controversial pay equity legislation. The Government introduced the Bill under urgency yesterday - which lifts the bar for claims of sex-based discrimination and forces existing claims to restart. NZ College of Midwives Chief Executive Alison Eddy says it's unclear how much of the sector will be impacted. "We have to wait for the court to decide that...we've still got some way to go." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final stage of a bill to increase the threshold of pay equity claims is expected to pass in Parliament. It'll extinguish 33 active claims, requiring them to re-start under the new model - with the changes expected to impact hundreds of thousands of workers. This bill has been met with outrage from unions and the Opposition - describing it as a 'dark day for women'. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls weighed in on the bill's progress. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is being criticised for their use of urgency to pass legislation. A law to lift the threshold for gender-discrimination pay equity claims and extinguish claims under way is likely to pass today, after only being announced yesterday. The Government's said it could save the taxpayer billions of dollars. Taxpayers Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager James Ross told Kerre Woodham that urgency has a place, but it should be an emergency button as opposed to something in the government's standard toolbox. He believes the reason urgency is being used in this case is because they don't want this in the media for too long, as it's a difficult conversation to be having. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when I thought the issue of pay parity couldn't get any more confusing, the Government has made it so. Yesterday, the coalition government moved under urgency in Parliament to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Under the new legislation, any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new higher threshold to show genuine gender discrimination and make sure the comparator settings were right. So 33 current claims will be stopped as a result. ACT's deputy leader and Minister for Workplace Relations Brooke Van Velden, the architect of the bill, said she supported pay equity, but the legislation introduced back in 2020 was problematic. “At the moment, people can choose a comparator for sex-based discrimination across the entire workforce. We're saying let's start firstly at home. If you can find people within your own employer, that would be a good starting point. If that comparison can't be made with a similar employer, that comparison's not there within your industry, if you can't find one there you've got to stop.” Which all sounds perfectly reasonable, because I've always thought how on earth do you compare completely different occupations? As van Velden told Parliament, Health New Zealand admin and clerical staff, as an example, have been compared to mechanical engineers. Health New Zealand librarians have been compared to transport engineers and Oranga Tamariki's social workers have been compared to air traffic controllers. I can't get my head around that at all. Equally, van Velden makes an interesting case about how wide-ranging and unwieldy claims can be drawing in vast numbers of employers. But the Government is moving or has moved so quickly, there's no Select Committee on the bill and as Thomas Coughlan points out in the Herald, officials didn't have time to write up a regulatory impact statement – which is an irony considering the changes were made by Brooke van Velden who is responsible for creating the regulatory impact statement. So before MPs vote on a bill they can have a look at the regulatory impact statement. How much is it going to cost? What are the effects? What are the wide-ranging impacts of introducing this legislation? They don't have that, and didn't have that when they went to vote last night. And as Thomas Coughlan concludes in his piece in the Herald, if the government cannot publish official papers that explain why this is a good idea, the public can be forgiven for concluding this is because it isn't one. It's the optics for me. Absolute optics. How can National champion pay parity in 2020 and champion the very legislation that they're now amending, and then say no, it's unworkable, unsustainable? They actually thought it was a jolly good idea in 2017. National began the process of amending the equal pay legislation in 2016. There's excerpts from speeches to Parliament back in 2020 when the equal pay legislation was introduced doing the rounds on Facebook, and quotes Nicola Willis saying this was a process National kicked off in the last government. “A bill was drafted, things were ready to go, and then there was a change of government – that's when Labour and New Zealand First formed the coalition. So my colleague Denise Lee, who believes very passionately in the concept of equal pay and pay equity, took a member's bill to this Parliament to progress pay equity in the absence of the new government where National had left off.” So she's taken credit for legislation that she now says is unsustainable and un-workable. How can you do that? Well, you can do that when you've got a bloody great hole in your budget, can't you? Yesterday, she said what this is about is ensuring we're clear, transparent and fair to ensure that where those claims are made, they relate to gender based discrimination and that other issues to do with pay and working conditions are raised during the normal employment relations process. So either the bill that that she worked so assiduously on and took credit for in 2020 was drafted poorly, or she's completely changed her mind about its workability. Or they didn't see through what the implications might be? And again, when you pass bills under urgency, which that was in 2020 and which this is now, you get those gaps because you don't have time to look at the far-reaching consequences – remember, there's no regulatory impact statement. So it was passed under urgency in 2020. Maggie Barry, at the time a National MP, harrumphed about it and said, for heaven's sake with Covid going on, we're passing this under urgency, this is a nonsense. But she still voted for it, as did National. And now they're saying it's unsustainable and unworkable. What this looks like is National stepping back from legislation they worked on, recommended and pushed through the House, and in fact took credit for it when it passed, so they can balance their books. It gives their critics all sorts of opportunities to lambast the government for stealing from the poorest paid workers to give rebates to wealthy landlords and tax cuts to the wealthy pricks. I actually happen to agree with the restrictions that Brooke van Velden is imposing, I think that they make sense. But it's a unique gift that this government has to make something right look so very, very wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the New Zealand government has pushed through with urgency, the introduction of a Pay Equity Amendment Bill which makes changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972, making the criteria for pay equity claims stricter, and discontinuing thirty three existing claims, which were representing thousands of workers. While coalition party politicians say the amendment would benefit women and could save ‘billions', opposition parties and community commentators reject these notions and have expressed disappointment and frustration at the lack of opportunity for public engagement on the issue. Producer Sara spoke with University of Auckland teaching fellow Simon Schofield about the issue. She began the interview by asking why this bill is so problematic

Next time I hear one of our government politicians banging on about New Zealand being the first country in the world to give women the vote, it will sound very hollow. Because while that might be something to crow about, what the Government's doing in relation to equal pay for women, isn't. You've got to, at the very least, give Brooke van Velden credit for taking one for the team yesterday and announcing that the Government is pulling the plug on any current pay equity claims and making it harder for any future claims to get through. And that's exactly what it's going to do. We know that because not only is the Workplace Relations Minister saying that the pay equity rules are “muddied and unclear”, the Prime Minister is also saying that these changes could save the Government “billions of dollars”. That's because the majority of the women affected by this are government workers. But they won't be the only ones. There may be some people who like the sound of saving billions of dollars. Probably most of them blokes. But I'm picking the majority of people will find that kind of sales job appalling. I do. Especially when these changes aren't going through the usual processes. There's no select committee process. Within hours of Brooke van Velden making the announcement, it was all underway under urgency. And it's going to mean that current pay equity claims in the system will be dropped and must be started again under the new rules, which are going to make the whole thing tougher and save us billions. The government's reasoning —or the reasoning it's talking about publicly, anyway— is that pay equity claims have been going through without what it describes as “strong evidence”. Apparently, after the announcement, ACT MPs were crowing that Brooke van Velden had single-handedly rescued this month's budget with these changes. National MPs pushed-backed on that. With Finance Minister Nicola Willis fronting media —flanked by fellow female National MPs Judith Collins, Erica Stanford, Louise Upston and Nicola Grigg— denying that this is being done to balance the Government's books. She said that the Government believes in the principle of pay equity when women can prove that they have been disadvantaged. She said: "What this is about is ensuring we are clear, transparent, and fair to ensure that where those claims are made they relate to gender-based discrimination and that other issues to do with pay and working conditions are raised during the normal employment relations process." Which is a fair and reasonable thing to say. But what isn't fair and reasonable is the way the Government is going about this – leaving out the select committee process and rushing it through. Until the Government can convince me otherwise, I'm believing the ACT MPs who obviously think that this is all about saving money and nothing more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition parties and protestors have come out in force - quite literally on the steps of Parliament - within hours of the coalition announcing a law change that will make it harder to pursue a pay equity claim. The furore over the government's decision to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued as part of a claim, has forced ministers to go on the defensive. Nick James has been following developments from Parliament.

John Maytham is joined by economist Ihsaan Bassier from the University of Surrey to unpack the deeper forces driving South Africa’s persistent gender pay gap. Based on a major study co-authored with Leila Gautham, Bassier explains how nearly half the wage disparity between men and women isn’t about unequal pay for equal work — but about women being concentrated in lower-paying firms. Follow us on:CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalkCapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalkCapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkzaCapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Powerful education union NZEI Te Riu Roa has members involved in a pay equity claim which will now be scrapped, with no settlement reached. Auckland teacher aid and NZEI support staff negotiation leader Ally Kingi spoke to Corin Dann.

The Prime Minister says changes to the pay equity law could save the government billions of dollars, but the motivation isn't to pay for the budget. Employers and Manufacturers Association head of advocacy, finance and strategy Alan McDonald spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

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That decision today to stop all those pay equity claims is ballsy - I mean, you know, ballsy is good - and I think I lean towards thinking this is the right thing to do. Those pay equity claims have been a bit random. I don't know if you know how this works, but basically, if people can prove that they're underpaid because they work in women-dominated jobs, then they can get a pay rise. And how they prove this is by finding men who are doing a similar job and then showing that there is a difference in pay. But the problem is, it really isn't. It isn't comparing apples with apples, it's often apples with oranges. For example, librarians. Librarians are currently trying to get a pay rise by comparing themselves to traffic engineers. Now, no disrespect whatsoever to librarians, but the Dewey Decimal System is not that hard. I'm pretty sure that most of us could learn to do it and become librarians in about 20 minutes flat. I think it takes a little bit longer to train up as an engineer who specializes in designing and planning and constructing and operating and maintaining a transport system. And the same goes with the admin health staff who are trying to compare themselves to mechanical engineers, and the same goes with the social workers who are trying to compare themselves to air traffic controllers. You can see the trouble here, right? Now, from what I understand, what Brooke van Velden has done today is going to save the country billions of dollars - in the Budget that we're getting in 2 weeks' time. Apparently, this is one of, if not the single biggest savings in the Budget. And apparently over 4 years, it counts for something higher than $10 billion. That is a significant amount of money. And as we know, the country is financially stuffed. However, someone will pay for this, and it's going to be the Government. They will be punished for this in political capital in the years to come, because this attack basically writes itself. Heartless Government takes money from underpaid working women - and that is why it is so ballsy, because the pay equity system is clearly, when you look at the detail, deeply flawed. I mean, it's a lovely idea, let's pay women more, but the system that we use to do that is deeply, deeply flawed and obviously needs this overhaul - but the politics of it is gonna be very, very rough. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is planning a massive overhaul of New Zealand's pay equity regime - and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation doesn't approve. The reforms will overhaul a 2020 law establishing a regime to allow people in sectors with a large female workforce to argue that they were underpaid relative to similar work done in male-dominated sectors. NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter says these proposed changes are 'disappointing'. "We've called it shameful - and our members are really upset about this, they've been ringing in all day." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is urgently pushing through new legislation - lifting the threshold for pay-equity claims based on gender discrimination. The Bill has already passed its first reading supported by all coalition parties and Parliament's moved swiftly onto the second. These changes have prompted plenty of backlash, but Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden says there was an appetite for these changes. "It became clear to me at the end of last year that there was appetite within my Cabinet to do this - and I think it's pretty clear that there was an impetus, so that's what's making the change." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the demand for Career Tech education continues to grow in Ohio, Career Tech programs continue to struggle to attract and retain educators to serve students because of problems with the way most salary schedules are structured. Career Tech educators often have years or decades of prior experience in the private sector - and the expertise they can share with their students is invaluable as a result - but many do not have the advanced degrees that other educators who took a more traditional path to the classroom often do, so Career Tech educators' salaries often don't reflect the value they bring to our schools. The Greene County Career Center Education Association recently bargained a new kind of salary schedule and new contract language to change that, and now they're hoping other local associations will follow their lead.SEE THE GCCCEA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND SALARY SCHEDULE | Greene County Career Center Education Association President Doug Picard is happy to show other local leaders what his association accomplished in its latest negotiations and share his insight about how it could be replicated for other educators across the state. You can reach Doug by email at douglaspicard@gmail.comLISTEN TO OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION | Regular Public Education Matters listeners may recognize Doug Picard from a previous episode this season. Doug reached out with the follow up discussed in this episode after an earlier conversation about the Growing Demand for Career Tech in Ohio. Click here to listen to that conversation in Season 5, Episode 17.  SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms, including YouTube. Click here for links for other platforms so you can listen anywhere. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS | For too long, the federal Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provisions of the Social Security Act have unfairly hurt Career Tech educators, who often enter the education profession after private sector careers. At the end of 2024, Sen. Sherrod Brown's Social Security Fairness Act passed in Congress. Click here to read OEA's statement on the landmark legislation.Featured Public Education Matters guests: P.R. Frank, Greene County Career Center Education Association memberAn educator for 31 years, P.R. Frank came to CTE in 2007 after 15 years as a public school educator. He helped to start three successful Dayton schools, has led teacher professional development, and has taught in classrooms ranging from elementary to post-secondary education. Prior to joining a career technical school, P.R. enjoyed developing his own small business as a digital media creator in his spare time. He champions great curriculum design, excellent teaching, and giving students a step up in life pursuits.Doug Picard, Greene County Career Center Education Association President Doug Picard is in his sixth year as a manufacturing and engineering instructor at the Greene County Career Center (GCCC) in Xenia, Ohio. Before joining GCCC, he served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he taught in classrooms, developed avionics test programs, and authored technical policies. At GCCC, his teaching emphasizes human-centered design and adaptive technologies to support underrepresented communities. Picard has also collaborated with the University of Dayton and Central State University as a research mentor for their Global STEM Research Experience for Teachers where he studied engineering in developing areas in Ecuador and India. Over the next three years, he will work with these universities, along with Wright State University, on a National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Teachers focused on electronics and semiconductors.Connect with OEA:Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Public Education Matters topicsLike OEA on FacebookFollow OEA on TwitterFollow OEA on InstagramGet the latest news and statements from OEA hereLearn more about where OEA stands on the issues Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative WatchAbout us:The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio's children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio's schools.Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children. The interview for this episode was recorded on April 14, 2025.

Why has the gender pay gap stalled, and what does it take for women to break into leadership? In this episode of Comp & Coffee, Ruth Thomas sits down with Payscale's Chief People Officer, Lexi Clarke, and Chief Customer Officer, Kate Peter, to explore the latest findings from the 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report. They discuss the challenges women face in leadership, the role of pay transparency, and what businesses can do to close the gap. Grab your coffee and join us for this important conversation!Key Highlights• Discussion of the persistent gender pay gap and the role of pay transparency in addressing this issue.• Insights from Lexi and Kate on navigating leadership roles as women and overcoming challenges in male-dominated industries.• Analysis of factors contributing to the stalling of pay gap improvements since 2022, with a focus on systemic issues and political influences.• Examination of the motherhood penalty and its impact on women's career trajectories.• The importance of having a "personal board of directors" and being authentic in leadership roles.Quotes• "I want to show her what strong looks like. I want to be messy in front of her and show her that you can lead authentically." – Kate Peter• "You can't unsee the data once you have it, and then you want to act on it." – Ruth Thomas• "Being authentic is my way of making sure I'm doing my best work." – Lexi ClarkeReferencesPayscale's 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report