The Greens welcome the release of employer-level gender pay gap data by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) today, a move that we have long called for, but it’s alarming to see many of the employers with enormous gender pay gaps are not only donors to the major parties, but the recipients of large government grants and contracts as well.
As stated by Greens leader in the senate and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters
“Closing the horrific gender pay gap is a task for both employers and government.
“Employers should now be embarrassed into closing their gender pay gaps. But it’s notable that many of the big employers with massive gender pay gaps receive big government grants and contracts.
“We are calling on the government to stop subsidising discrimination.
“Government should not be gifting commonwealth contracts or grants to businesses that have a gender pay gap. Will they commit to this?
“Likewise many of the employers with a large gender pay gap are generous political donors. They should be paying their women workers not buying political favours. Both of the big parties should commit to not accepting donations from companies with a gender pay gap.
“Woodside, Ampol, Santos are not only destroying the planet, but all have gender pay gaps of over 22%.
“The big banks – who donated over $260,000 to Labor last financial year – all pay men significantly more than women. The Commonwealth Bank had the highest gender pay gap of the big 4 banks at around 30% meaning women earn around 70 cents for every dollar earned by men at Commonwealth.
“The release of WGEA data today is a win for the Greens and advocates who have long-called for employer-level data to be public, as more transparency of the gender pay gap is what helps to close it. Now we can see employer-level data, the real work to close it has to begin.”
