News release

May 5, 2004

PSAC urges federal government to revamp pay equity law  

OTTAWA – The federal government should act quickly to turn into law the recommendations of its Pay Equity Task Force for effective, pro-active pay equity measures.

Public Service Alliance of Canada National President Nycole Turmel says that the Task Force has recognized pay equity as a fundamental human right, a position supported by both employers and unions during the consultation process.   “Recognizing pay equity as a right reinforces the need for pro-active measures to correct inequities which are a result of systemic wage discrimination.”

According to Turmel, “the Task Force has also taken an important step forward by recognizing the growing wage gap for workers of colour, Aboriginal and disabled workers.”

PSAC's experience with the current pay equity law (Section 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act) has helped show the need for a better process.   The union has an outstanding complaint at Canada Post which is still unresolved after 20 years.   It took 16 years to resolve a pay equity complaint against the federal government which eventually resulted in over $3-billion dollars in adjustments for over 200,000 current and former PSAC members.

“Both public and private employers under federal jurisdiction have been unwilling to implement pay equity and have put their energy and resources into fighting the application of the current law in successive court challenges,” says Turmel.   “If the recommendations of the Task Force are implemented, federal employers will be obliged to examine their pay practices and eliminate any wage discrimination.”

PSAC endorses the Task Force's recommendations that pay equity be pro-active and that

•  a separate Agency be dedicated to the implementation of pay equity at the federal level;

•  the union's role as a joint partner in the development of pay equity plans be recognized;

•  pay equity apply to part-time, casual, contract, agency and temporary workers;

•  pay equity continue to apply in the event of changes such as the sale of a business or contracting-out of work;

•  employers be required to meet their pay equity obligations within a defined period, with penalties if they do not; and that

•  pay equity be maintained to ensure the discrimination does not re-occur.

              While the PSAC applauds many of the Task Force recommendations, the union has concerns about some of the inconsistencies in the report.   For example, while the report proposes a broad definition of compensation for pay equity purposes, including benefits with a monetary value, it then goes on to define paid leaves, pension plans, health and disability plans, parking, meal allowances and the like as having no monetary value.

  “The union believes that any inconsistencies in the report can be resolved through consultation and we call on the federal government to begin the process of drafting legislation as soon as possible,” advises Turmel.

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For information: Louise Laporte, PSAC Communications, (613) 560-4287

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