In the throne speech, the government stated its intention to “continue to implement its current pay equity commitments.” These are commitments the NB Coalition for Pay Equity takes seriously and on which it hopes the government will build.
“In order to fulfill its obligations, the government must accelerate the application of the Pay Equity Act, 2009 and increase the amounts allocated to the workers in child care, home support, group homes and transition homes,” states Vallie Stearns, Chair of the Coalition for Pay Equity.
The Coalition urges the government to go further and adopt pay equity legislation for the private sector.
“Pay equity is not only an issue of economic security for women and their families, but also for the whole province,” says Stearns. “Pay equity legislation for the private sector will bring more revenue to the government because women and men who will get pay equity adjustments will contribute more taxes.”
In fact, the elimination of pay discrimination would increase income and sales taxes going to the provincial government coffers by $ 226 million while diminishing health expenditures by $ 60 million, according to a study conducted by economist Ather Akbari in 2004.
Pay equity is reached when people doing predominantly female jobs get the same pay as people doing predominantly male jobs that have the same value, for the same employer.