LITHGOW FAMILIES STRUGGLE AS WOMEN'S WAGES DROP
Sunday 18 November 2007

Lithgow families are struggling under increasing financial pressure because women's wages are going backwards under the Government's WorkChoices laws.

Bob Debus, Labor candidate for Macquarie, said he was appalled at new research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which reveals that NSW women now earn $359.70 per week less than the average NSW man.

" The negative impact of WorkChoices on the wages of working women is yet another blow to working families in Lithgow who are already struggling with 10 consecutive interest rate rises and growing fuel and grocery bills," said Mr Debus.

" Women's wages are now a mere 67.1 per cent of men's wages, a fall of 2.8 percentage points since just before the introduction of Mr Howard's unfair WorkChoices laws."

The ABS Average Weekly Earnings research also reveals that the 'full time total earnings' gap has blown out, with women in full time work now earning $1038.90 a week compared to $1277.20 for men – a difference of $238.30.

" Rather than fixing the gap between earnings for women and men, the Howard Government instead introduced unfair work laws that have greatly disadvantaged many women," Mr Debus said.

" This research highlights yet another burden being faced by the many Lithgow families which rely on two incomes just to make ends meet.

" Under the Howard Government, the contribution of working women is increasingly undervalued and underpaid, and these unfair work laws are undermining the economic gains female workers have made over the last few decades.

" In contrast, a Rudd Labor Government is committed to repealing this draconian legislation and creating fair and balanced work laws that will improve gender pay equity."


Reference: Australian Bureau of Statistics 6302.0 Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, August 2007

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