Page 720 - Week 02 - Thursday, 10 March 2011
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helps workers to stay engaged in the workforce by protecting their basic entitlement of long service leave, even when it is accrued by service to multiple organisations. At this point in time, 228 employers and 7,391 employees have registered for the scheme.
I would also like to mention the work that is currently being undertaken to progress the gender pay equity at a national level. The modern award is a national initiative which provided a clearer industrial framework for community organisations. The Australian Industrial Relations Commission determined in the modern award that pay related to matters for the community sector will be deferred until the middle of this year. The commission has resolved to allow a pay equity case for the community sector to be considered by Fair Work Australia. It is likely that pay rises of between 18 and 50 per cent will be sought for the community sector workers. The ACT government is heavily involved in this work and its implications for our valued community partners.
The government continues to support the viability and sustainability of the community sector and has significantly increased financial support to the sector. The government has done this through improved indexation rates, expanding services, establishing a community support and infrastructure grants program and developing the first Australian portable long service leave scheme.
More broadly, the ACT has been a coordinator for a series of national pay equity roundtables. These roundtable discussions have been attended by women representatives of government, women secretariats, academia, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency and key advocacy groups. All of these women from their respective sectors and groups together are carefully working through the national implications of gender pay equity. The discussions provide an opportunity for the whole of government and the whole of community to come together to unpack the issues that underlie the gender pay gap.
Recently the Council of Australian Governments has agreed to a new and comprehensive reform plan of the ministerial council system. The Council of Australian Governments has agreed to create 12 standing councils and five legislative and government fora, plus five additional select councils, including a select council for women’s issues. The terms of reference for standing councils will consider cross-cutting issues such as gender equality. This is a strong and positive result both in terms of the Council of Australian Governments for establishing a piece of gender equality architecture and for setting in a framework to ensure that gender equality is considered across the new ministerial council system and the COAG reform agenda.
The ACT will continue to be a strong and leading contributor to the national gender equality debate. This government has a five-year women’s plan, which will contribute to improving women’s economic independence in the ACT. This government has worked closely with the community sector and for women in the ACT and has delivered on initiatives to target women of need. As a community, we can all contribute to this government’s commitment for women and girls to reach their full potential.
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