While the foundations for redressing gender pay inequality in New Zealand were established half a century ago, significant numbers of women still endure the sharp end of gender-based pay differentials. Following a landmark test case in the aged care sector which focused on the (re)interpretation of the Equal Pay Act 1972, gender pay equality is once again under intense scrutiny. On the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the New Zealand government signalled the introduction of legislative amendments to address this enduring challenge. Although widely contested, the intent of the Equal Pay Amendment Bill is to lower the threshold for raising pay equity claims, while establishing a bargaining process for resolving them. Alongside this, the government has introduced an ambitious workplace action plan to eliminate public service gender pay gaps. Informed by gender equity policy approaches, this article examines New Zealand’s (gendered) regulatory history relating to equal pay, yielding insights into how labour law and policy have both addressed and evaded the objective of equal remuneration for work of equal value, concluding with a discussion of recent initiatives. This qualitative analysis illustrates how institutional contexts for wage-setting and value-laden equality strategies impact women’s experience of work in New Zealand.

中文翻译：

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新西兰性别薪酬平等的复兴和重塑

虽然新西兰纠正性别薪酬不平等的基础是半个世纪前建立的，但仍有大量女性仍然忍受着基于性别的薪酬差异的尖锐终结。在老年护理部门的一个里程碑式的测试案例集中于（重新）解释 1972 年同工同酬法案之后，性别薪酬平等再次受到严格审查。在妇女参政 125 周年之际，新西兰政府表示将引入立法修正案以应对这一持久挑战。尽管存在广泛争议，但《同工同酬修正案》的目的是降低提出薪酬公平要求的门槛，同时建立解决这些问题的谈判程序。除此之外，政府还推出了一项雄心勃勃的工作场所行动计划，以消除公共服务性别薪酬差距。本文以性别平等政策方法为依据，考察了新西兰与同工同酬相关的（性别）监管历史，深入了解劳动法和政策如何解决和规避同工同酬的目标，最后进行了讨论最近的举措。这种定性分析说明了工资设定和价值平等战略的制度背景如何影响新西兰妇女的工作经验。