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RNZ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Christchurch protesters confront Finance Minister Nicola Willis over pay equity
Protesters outside Addington Raceway, where Finance Minister Nicola Willis addressed business leaders. Photo: Nathan McKinnon/RNZ Protesters have rallied against the government's pay-equity legislation at a post-budget business lunch featuring Finance Minister Nicola Willis in Christchurch. About 50 people chanted, waved banners and flags, and yelled through megaphones, as Willis entered the Addington Raceway event centre to speak to Canterbury business leaders. Public Service Association delegate and library worker Sioniann Byrnes, who was on parental leave, said the changes were an attack on the working class. "The library assistant pay equity claim was one of the 33 that was basically stopped in it's tracks," she said. "I think what they've done is shafted a whole lot of people, who've done a lot of robust work to try and fix pay and equity that has been going on for a long time. Protesters make their voices heard. Photo: Nathan McKinnon/RNZ "I think it is frankly disgusting." Byrnes hoped her four-month-old daughter, whom she was holding at the time, would not have to deal with the issue of pay equity in future. E tū delegate Keri Makiri was concerned about the effect of the legislation on partner, two taimaiti (children) and four mokopuna (grandchildren). "The changes are absolutely diabolical and rip the hearts out of lower-paid workers," he said. New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate and nurse Maree Vincent was rallying for not just the pay equity of nurses, but also for carers and support workers. "'We're back to square one," she said. "All we are asking is to be paid the same as our male counterparts in our jobs and the same as our nurses in our hospitals." Budget documents revealed the tightening of the pay-equity regime - passed under urgency in early May - would net the government $2.7 billion every year or $12.8 billion in total over the next four years. The pay-equity changes meant workers would face a higher threshold to prove they were underpaid , because of sex discrimination. Finance Minister Nicola Willis addresses Christchurch business leaders. Photo: Nathan McKinnon/RNZ Inside, Willis told the audience that the savings were significant. "The government remains committed to the concept of pay equity and, in fact, New Zealand continues to have a legislated, workable pay-equity regime for the raising of pay-equity claims and for the settlement of those claims. "The government itself continues to have funding put aside to settle claims we anticipate will come through in the future." Willis said the pay-equity regime had departed from addressing sex-based discrimination into issues that could be dealt with in normal bargaining rounds. "Without teaching you to suck eggs, pay equity is different from equal pay. Equal pay is that you and you, if you do the same job, should be paid the same amount. "That concept is protected in law and must always be." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Dunedin joins protest against pay equity law change
Hundreds of protesters braved wet weather in Dunedin to voice their outrage at the government's changes to the pay equity process. The Pay Equity Amendment Bill passed on Wednesday after being rushed through under urgency. Affected workers say they're "angry", "hurt" and "disappointed" and feel betrayed by the architect of the legislation, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, but are determined to keep fighting. The legislation means 33 equity claims being negotiated will now have to restart the process under new criteria. Nationwide protests were taking place today. In Dunedin, members from unions across a variety of sectors including Etu, First Union, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the Public Service Union gathered at the Exchange at 1.30pm to stand in solidarity against the overnight amendment to the Equal Pay Act. PSA organiser Jen Wilson said the rally was a fairly spontaneous uprising of anger and disgust by women and people who care about women. She could not believe the Pay Equity Amendment Bill was passed earlier this week. ''I was shocked.'' The changes were not about equity, but were about making cuts for the upcoming Budget, she argued. Speakers from unions and Labour MPs Ingrid Leary, the MP for Taieri, and Rachel Brooking, the MP for Dunedin, led chants. One system to deal with pay equity - PM It has been revealed the National Party leadership briefed its MPs two days in advance of the announcement to overhaul the pay equity system. While the party caucus was meeting at 10am on Tuesday - an hour before van Velden revealed the pay equity changes - Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis considered it significant enough to give its MPs more warning, RNZ has reported. Speaking to reporters at Parliament yesterday, Willis confirmed the Sunday briefing, saying officials had warned ministers of "legal risks" if the government had talked about its intentions to make changes to pay equity laws ahead of the new legislation being passed. Luxon told reporters today the reason the government fast-tracked the legislation was to make sure New Zealand has one system to deal with pay equity. He reiterated that the government was committed to pay equity, collective bargaining, equal pay and pay parity. "We expect equal pay between men and women doing the same jobs. The next thing is we expect pay parity - people doing the same jobs in different employers or different organisations should be the same. "Pay equity is an issue where you have women in particular, in female-dominated industries, looking to the value of the work that they do is akin to value that might be a different job done in a different industry or a different sector." There was nothing to stop anyone making a pay equity claim under the new legislation, Luxon said. Minister 'doesn't care about women' Today's protests were organised by the Public Service Association and included a demonstration outside van Velden's Tāmaki electorate office in Auckland. The government said the changes - which raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim - are necessary to make the law more "fair". The new law will also "significantly reduce costs for the Crown." Support worker Kate Halsell told RNZ she's "really angry," "let down" and "disappointed" by the law change. "We were so close to getting to the end and getting this sorted, and then to be basically kicked in the guts and told you're going to be starting again, you're not worth anything." Halsell said the Minister behind the changes "doesn't care about any woman. Doesn't matter the job, she doesn't care". She was frustrated people don't "see what we do". "I don't see them going out there and holding the hands of people who are dying, giving them their last respect so they can be at home. "I don't see them going into a house where a guy who's just become a paraplegic or a tetraplegic, and they're angry and they're upset, and they finally got home, and the reality of life really hits in - we deal with that. "We walk in and make sure, hey, you're washed, you're dressed, you had your medication, you got your food." Halsell said achieving pay equity would have made a material difference. "It means better food on the table. I can have heat in my house 24/7. I can actually get my car fixed properly. I can buy a new car." She would have been protesting today "with bells on", but had to work. The nurses' union had at least 10 pay equity claims in play this year. Registered nurse Andrea Burton was also "disappointed" and "angry", but most of all, she said, "I felt sad." Burton said it felt like a "betrayal" that it was a woman who made the decision, referencing the Minister van Velden, a member of the Act party. The thought of having to start the whole claim process over again was "wearing" but the fight will continue, she said. "Of course, we're all willing to continue to fight. We're not going to let her keep us down. We've done it before. We'll do it again." - additional reporting by RNZ
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Dunedin joins protest against equity law change
Hundreds of protesters braved wet weather in Dunedin to voice their outrage at the government's changes to the pay equity process. The Pay Equity Amendment Bill passed on Wednesday after being rushed through under urgency. Affected workers say they're "angry", "hurt" and "disappointed" and feel betrayed by the architect of the legislation, the Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden but are determined to keep fighting. The legislation means 33 equity claims being negotiated will now have to restart the process under new criteria. Nationwide protests are taking place today. In Dunedin, members from unions across a variety of sectors including Etu, First Union, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the Public Service Union gathered at the Exchange at 1.30pm to stand in solidarity against the overnight amendment to the Equal Pay Act. PSA organiser Jen Wilson said the rally was a fairly spontaneous uprising of anger and disgust by women and people who care about women. She could not believe the Pay Equity Amendment Bill was passed on Wednesday. ''I was shocked.'' The changes were not about equity and were about making cuts for the upcoming Budget, she argued. Speakers from the unions and Dunedin-based Labour MPs Ingrid Leary and Rachel Brooking led chants. It has been revealed the National Party leadership briefed its MPs two days in advance of the announcement to overhaul the pay equity system. While the party caucus was meeting at 10am on Tuesday - an hour before van Velden revealed the pay equity changes - Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis considered it significant enough to give its MPs more warning. Speaking to reporters at Parliament yesterday, Willis confirmed the Sunday briefing, and said officials had warned ministers of "legal risks" if the government had talked about its intentions to make changes to pay equity laws ahead of the new legislation being passed. Luxon told reporters today the reason the government fast-tracked the pay equity legislation is to make sure New Zealand has one system to deal with pay equity. He reiterated that the government is committed to pay equity, collective bargaining, equal pay and pay parity. "We expect equal pay between men and women doing the same jobs. "The next thing is we expect pay parity - people doing the same jobs in different employers or different organisations should be the same. "Pay equity is an issue where you have women in particular, in female-dominated industries, looking to the value of the work that they do is akin to value that might be a different job done in a different industry or a different sector." He says there was nothing to stop anyone making a pay equity claim under the new legislation. Minister 'doesn't care about women' Today's protests have been organised by the Public Service Association and include a demonstration outside van Velden's Tāmaki electorate office in Auckland. The government said the changes - which raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim - are necessary to make the law more "fair". The new law will also "significantly reduce costs for the Crown." Support worker Kate Halsell told RNZ she's "really angry," "let down" and "disappointed" by the law change. "We were so close to getting to the end and getting this sorted, and then to be basically kicked in the guts and told you're going to be starting again, you're not worth anything." Halsell said the Minister behind the changes "doesn't care about any woman. Doesn't matter the job, she doesn't care". She was frustrated people don't "see what we do". "I don't see them going out there and holding the hands of people who are dying, giving them their last respect so they can be at home. "I don't see them going into a house where a guy who's just become a paraplegic or a tetraplegic, and they're angry and they're upset, and they finally got home, and the reality of life really hits in - we deal with that. "We walk in and make sure, hey, you're washed, you're dressed, you had your medication, you got your food." Halsell said achieving pay equity would have made a material difference. "It means better food on the table. I can have heat in my house 24/7. I can actually get my car fixed properly. I can buy a new car." She would have been protesting today "with bells on", but had to work. The nurses' union had at least 10 pay equity claims in play this year. Registered nurse Andrea Burton was also "disappointed" and "angry", but most of all, she said "I felt sad." Burton said it felt like a "betrayal" that it was a woman who made the decision, referencing the Minister van Velden, a member of the Act party. The thought of having to start the whole claim process over again was "wearing" but the fight will continue, she said. "Of course, we're all willing to continue to fight. We're not going to let her keep us down. We've done it before. We'll do it again." - additional reporting by RNZ
