Pay Equity

In 2020, an amendment to the Equal Pay Act (1972) made it more straightforward to raise Pay Equity claims.

Pay Equity is about people being paid the same for work that is the same or substantially similar, or different but of equal value.

Pay inequity is caused by systemic sex-based discrimination leading to the undervaluation of work done in female-dominated occupations.

Following the amendment to the Act, both PPTA Te Wehengarua and NZEI Te Riu Roa raised a claim for teachers. These two claims were consolidated into the biggest Pay Equity claim in the education sector, on behalf of over 90,000 workers.

We are now in the assessment stage, where representatives from the NZEI Te Riu Roa and PPTA Te Wehengarua will be working with Ministry of Education analysts to conduct interviews across the education sector. This will mean that pay equity interviews will be taking place in your schools.