Union warns wages growth for women must be protected

Women working full-time on an average wage have earned an extra $7,800 more than they  would have under the policies of the former coalition government, the union said.

The boost in women's wages equates to an extra $2,800 on average per year for a full-time working woman. 

The ACTU analysis found overall wages growth between 2013 and 2022 was just 2.1 per cent on average, and has since lifted to 3.7 per cent. 

A number of federal government reforms have been credited with shifting wages, including raising award and minimum wages, reforms in 2022 which expanded worker bargaining coverage and improved paid parental leave. 

Nearly six in 10 workers on award wages are women, with many of the legislative changes leading to wage increases for workers in aged care and early childhood education. 

Right to disconnect laws that came into effect in 2024 allow employees to reasonably refuse contact from their employer outside paid hours, which the union said had reduced unpaid overtime. 

"The change of government in May 2022 signalled an end to the wages' stagnation of nine years under the coalition," ACTU president Michele O'Neil said. 

"Now wages are growing, and the gender pay gap shrinking it is critical these new wage settings and rights remain in place and are built upon."

Recent data released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency showed just one-in-five Australian employers have an average gender pay gap in the target range of -5 per cent and +5 per cent. 

The analysis also showed 56 per cent of employers had improved their gender pay gap in the last year. 

But Ms O'Neil warned women's wages would be at risk if a coalition government was elected in 2025. 

"The plans announced by (Opposition Leader) Peter Dutton to reverse rights for casual workers, the right to disconnect and better bargaining rights and their support for penalty rate cuts will send working women backwards," she said. 

"Women can't afford more insecure work, for public sector wage caps to come back and to lose lifts to aged care and early childhood education and care workers' wages. 

"They can't afford to  see their work being undervalued and underpaid."