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1. Establishment of the Inquiry

2001 - Worth Valuing – The background discussion paper indicates that the state government accepted all 20 recommendations, however, it is clear that much more needs to be done as pay inequity has not changed significantly in the past 6 years.  Many commentators indicate that pay inequity is getting worse, not better. AMACSU does not accept that the recommendations were either implemented in full, nor to the desired effect. For example, in relation to agreement making, the fact that affidavits do not require the parties to identify steps taken to ensure pay equity principles have not been offended means there is no way of testing under the Equal Remuneration Principle whether or what steps were in fact actually taken.

Similarly, the 2007 Final Report of the Inquiry into the Impact of Workchoices on Queensland Workplaces, Employees and Employers recommended pay equity would require ‘close monitoring’. Most research into the impact of WorkChoices indicates that pay inequity is getting worse, not better, and while monitoring this trend is important, without action to redress the situation, it will achieve nothing.