Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Camera IconPrime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit: AAP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison fears uproar over Labor’s pay gap disclosure plan

Staff writer, AAPNews Corp Australia Network

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison says he fears that workplace conflict will arise if companies have to publicly disclose how much they pay women compared to men.

Labor today announced an election commitment to make Australian companies with more than 1000 employees disclose their gender pay gaps.

Mr Morrison said it was important to reduce the 14.5 per cent gender pay gap, but thinks Labor’s policy will pit workers against each other.

“I want policies that bring Australians together. I don’t want to create tensions and anger and anxiety in the workplace,” he told reporters in Sydney.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the media during a visit to Mount Druitt Hospital.
Camera IconPrime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the media during a visit to Mount Druitt Hospital. Credit: AAP, AAP/Perry Duffin

“You’d want to be confident that you weren’t just going to be setting up conflict in the workplace, what matters is narrowing the pay gap.”

It comes after Labor said the gender pay gap was “stubbornly high” and women working full time still get paid almost 15 per cent less than men working full time.

“It is unacceptable this has barely changed over the last two decades,” said a joint statement from Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek and opposition employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor today.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek says the gender pay gap is “unacceptable”.
Camera IconDeputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek says the gender pay gap is “unacceptable”. Credit: AAP

On average, a woman working full time earns around $27,000 per year less than a man, the statement said.

“We must do better,” it said, adding that a Labor government under Bill Shorten would “act to shine a light on the gender pay gap in Australian companies”.

Labor would also change the Fair Work Act to prohibit pay secrecy clauses, and require the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to publish a list showing whether large companies had undertaken and reported a gender pay gap audit.

Companies already report their gender pay data to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency but Labor would make it public, the statement said.

“People will be able to search a gender pay equity portal to find out a company’s overall pay gap, and the pay gaps for managerial and non-managerial staff.”

A woman working full time earns around $27,000 per year less than a man, according to Labor.
Camera IconA woman working full time earns around $27,000 per year less than a man, according to Labor. Credit: istock, iStock

The policy is an important step towards fair pay for women, says the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

President Michele O’Neil says it will ensure employers won’t be able to punish their employees for discussing pay with each other.

“Working women need measures to combat the systematic society-wide under valuation of work done by women,” she said in a statement on today.

“This must include moving away from reliance on the narrow and failing enterprise bargaining system.”

All Australian government departments and agencies would also have to conduct gender pay audits within the first year of a Labor government.