It's Long Past Time to Act on Pay Equity

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 5, 2016) - Canada's unions are appalled with the federal government's decision to wait another two years to start addressing the gender wage gap.

"Despite the report of the House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity being titled It's Time to Act, action on this issue doesn't seem to be high their agenda," said CLC Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Byers.

"The government says that having a gender wage gap in Canada in 2016 is unacceptable. So why are they delaying action by at least another two years? Pay equity is a human right. Continued consultations only serve to further disadvantage Canadian women," added Byers.

Byers pointed out that the Pay Equity Task Force submitted its report 12 years ago, which laid out a framework to eliminate the current complaints-based pay equity system, and to implement a proactive approach.

"After all the expert testimony, and with the Task Force and Committee's recommendations in hand, it's unacceptable that the government would decide to make women wait another two years for pay equity legislation. This is an issue of fairness, plain and simple."

Earlier this year, Byers reminded the Committee that working women have been waiting far too long for a solution to the gender wage gap. She urged the Committee to table proactive pay equity legislation without further delay.

"There is no reason to continue to delay pay equity legislation. So much time, effort, and resources went into the task force consultation and report. We can't let it collect dust in the archives any longer," said Byers.

The CLC is also calling on the government to immediately eliminate the Conservative government's Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers.