Demand Equal Pay in 2011 - ASU rally and march, 8 June 2011

Submitted by peter on Thu, 16/06/2011 - 5:04pm

8 June was a National Day of Action, with rallies across Australia demanding pay equity for workers in the community and health sector. The rally in Melbourne was held in wet and wintry conditions, but as one speaker said, these did not dampen workers’ resolve to pursue the pay increases that Fair Work Australia had just announced they were entitled to. Several thousand gathered outside Trades Hall to hear speakers before marching through the CBD to Parliament House to make their voices heard there.
Video of the three stages can be seen on YouTube, including the speech delivered at Trades Hall by veteran campaigner Zelda D’Aprano, who way back in 1969 chained herself to government buildings to reinforce just the same demands for equality which have still not been met.
Other speakers at Trades Hall were Brian Parkinson, Branch Secretary of the ASU, Vikkie Robinson, a Community Services student at Victoria University and Student Member of the ASU, Linda White from the ASU National Office, who presented a number of member who had submitted witness statements to the Tribunal in the recent wage case, as did Mary Bluett of the AEU and Lloyd Williams of HACSU, and finally ASU member Pia Cerveri.
At Parliament House there were more speakers, including Cath Smith and Micaela Cronin, CEO and President respectively of the Victorian Council of Social Services, who presented a statement of support on behalf of VCOSS, ASU delegate Cecilia Judge, and finally Lisa Darmanin, ASU Assistant Secretary (whose speech comes at the end of footage of the march in the video below).
MC for the rally was ASU Lead Organiser Wil Stracke.
See also http://melbourneprotests.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/asu-equal-pay-rally-an...

Video on YouTube:

The march: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9gANrf9yFY
Zelda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z21gHCuzMYM
Speakers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cRrba8RJ4s

Campaign website: http://www.payup.org.au

Media coverage at The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/national/all-things-being-equal-20110607-1fqyf....

and ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/08/3239164.htm

Keywords: 
unions
Equal Pay
women's rights
ASU
Zelda D'Aprano
Geography: 
Melbourne
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Comments

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on Thu, 16/06/2011 - 7:46pm

At my work women can only lift 15kg and men 25kg I say equal pay for equal work.
When I go to the local supermarket and put a box of 24 cans of soft drinks on the counter the women will scan it and make me lift it past the cash register but the men quite happily pass it through the register and place it at the end of the counter for collection the men in this case should be paid more because they have done the job right not half done it like the women.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 16/06/2011 - 8:32pm

Very clever men and women in non labour intensive professions are not doing differing roles.
What if the women in the supermarket scan 3 x more than the men, what if they are better at customer service and generate more repeat business, you think in a box and you would make a good politician.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 17/06/2011 - 8:22am

fucking bam!

... also i hate working in a meat market.

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on Fri, 17/06/2011 - 3:49pm

What if the women in the super market don't scan 3x more than men what if the men generate more repeat business and have better customer service with less chit chat between registers,you think in a box you would would make a good Bra Burner.
At least my statement is based on facts not like your what ifs.
Just face facts men have to lift heavier weights than women thus doing more work when, the sexist rule is taken away and men and women can lift the same weight at work then we can look at the same pay for the same job.Because men and women are not equal in this case why should the pay be equal?

Submitted by Stephen B (not verified) on Fri, 17/06/2011 - 5:18pm

Well said Brian I am a chef I work with men and women chefs when it comes time to get boxes of meat and chicken etc out of the freezer ,I get the boss coming up to me asking if I can lift it because it's too heavy for the girls to lift.Then when it comes time to clean up I get the girls coming up to me asking if I can lift the bin into the dump master because it is too heavy for them.
I am about to make a stand and tell every one at work that its time for a bit of equality if they can't do the job go home, and employ people that can do what is expected of them, because I am sick of doing all the hard work while the girls stand there and watch me bust my guts.Women equal rights when it suits them pathetic! and I bet they are on the same money as me.

I'll keep you posted and let you know how it turns out

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 16/06/2011 - 8:33pm

Very clever men and women in non labour intensive professions are not doing differing roles.
What if the women in the supermarket scan 3 x more than the men, what if they are better at customer service and generate more repeat business, you think in a box and you would make a good politician.

Submitted by Muzz (not verified) on Fri, 17/06/2011 - 5:56pm

I encounter a similar thing at work I'm a Motor Mechanic and I have a female who works next to me(a very nice person)She is always complaining because I am on more money than her but when it comes time to lifting something heavy she needs help and because of this she is slow.She cant lift a gear box or a cylinder head and expects you to drop what you are doing to help her but when you tell her I can't because I have to get my job done she cracks it, but if I keep leaving my job to do hers my times get slower(you are clocked on and off every job) and it makes it harder for me to hit the boss for a pay rise.
I have tried to explain this in a nice way but she can't see it and says we are sexist because we wont do all her heavy work so now I dont talk to her do my job and go home because I can see this turning pear shaped and doing the sexist rubbish on me and it ending up in court.
I agree equal pay for equal work

Submitted by Moon beam (not verified) on Fri, 17/06/2011 - 8:50pm

I am a male sex worker I work in a legal brothel in Sydney my pay is not equal to the girls that work here Eg If girls do anal sex they get paid extra money but when I do anal sex I only get the standard rate I dont think this is fair because anal sex is anal sex no matter if you are male or female the pain is the same.I think this is sexual discrimination and our pays should be equal for anal sex I work my butt off to be the best and my pay should reflect this

Submitted by Sue (not verified) on Mon, 20/06/2011 - 9:36pm

I think this Blog may have back fired, good on you men stick up for yourselves LOL